Ashara Shepard: The Fourth Life
by ReavansMask
Summary: A set of stories featuring the post-war experiences of Ashara Shepard, Liara, and the rest of the Normandy crew as they struggle to rebuild what was lost and hold on to what was worth saving. Rated for language, some violence, and smut.
1. What Was Saved: Retrieval

** This is the first chapter in what will be a multi-part work detailing the post-war life and adventures of Ashara Shepard. (Colonist/War Hero/Paragon). The primary focus is on her and Liara, but it will also involve a variety of other POVs, exploring the paths the rest of the crew follow. Feedback is always welcomed.**

* * *

She's back in the forest, the one she's been walking through since the invasion of Earth. The fire was always there, but now, it's consumed everything, burning it all to the ground and she's just sitting among the ashes, lost in the mist. The voices are still there though, hanging in the air like smoke, calling out to her.

"_It's the right choice and you know it, Commander_."

"_Someone else might have gotten it wrong_."

"_You did good, child_."

They're telling her that she's finally done, that she can rest. For so long, she's had to keep fighting. She's seen more battles, killed more people, and been wounded more times than she can count. No matter what she's been feeling, no matter who she's lost, she hasn't been able to stop. When the galaxy needed her, she had responded. She had prevailed. But now, the Reapers are destroyed and it feels like it would be so easy to just lie down and sleep.

But then there's another voice, soft and loving, calling to her through the darkness.

"I'm yours," Liara implores her. "Please, come back to me," and Shepard remembers why she can't rest yet. A blue hand reaches out to her and, fighting aside the fatigue, she stands to take it. Moving towards Liara, she steps away from the lost and breathes.

* * *

Ashara Shepard awakens with a start, buried beneath a dangerously unstable tumble of girders and cables. It's too heavy for her to move by hand, at least in her current condition. Short of the time she died, this is the worst she's ever been hurt. Through the pain, her disciplined mind catalogues the injuries: throbbing in the blasted flesh of one leg, burns on her torso, labored breathing from cracked ribs, and a weakness that she's pretty sure is blood loss.

If she's going to get free of the debris before it crushes her, it will have to be with biotics. She hasn't been able to use them since Harbinger's attack but now there's no other way, just this one last thing she has to do to get back to her bondmate. With a wordless cry, she rises, a burst of energy erupting from her, blasting the rubble clear. She staggers free, settling down on a clear patch of floor and her hand goes to her com-link. It comes on, but with a ominous crackle of static. "This is Shepard. Is… anyone there? I need…I need extraction..." She tries to continue, but the escape has sapped whatever strength she has left and darkness takes her again.

* * *

Steven Hackett stands on the bridge of his flagship, the _Salamis_, frowning at Lt. Duran. It's been days since the Reapers were destroyed and, although the Admiral is assured by the experts that the Mass Relays can be repaired, it will take weeks of additional work, and until then, his hands are exceedingly full.

Hundreds of millions are still in desperate straits on Earth, and with all of the assembled forces that didn't jump out in time still stranded there, he spends half his time stopping them from tripping over each other.

That's why he isn't sure why he's being bothered with one garbled message. There are countless such calls every day and as such, he hardly thinks it's a matter for the supreme commander of the Alliance forces but when he hears the words, "It came from the Citadel," he knows better.

"What was the message?"

"We don't know, sir. There was only static on the line. But we do have an approximate location."

"Then get rescue teams over there, immediately."

"Sir, the Citadel is still a mess. Debris, bodies, the initial survey team wasn't sure what went on there or that it wouldn't collapse on their heads."

"Damn it, I know that Lieutenant. But this could be Shepard. If there's any chance we can find her alive, we have to take it."

* * *

When Hackett calls for volunteers to help find the commander, the response is so overwhelming that they have to turn people away. Despite the risks, every species wants to help, and soon, a small army of rescuers is crawling over the ruins of the Citadel.

It's a group of turian commandos who find her, lying on the floor, somehow clear of the wreckage. Her injuries are bad enough that, when they first see the Specter, they fear she's dead, but when they turn her over, her shallow, labored breaths tell them otherwise.

Placing her gently onto a stretcher, they call the _Salamis_ to let them know that the search is finished while rushing her back to a waiting shuttle. Minutes after Hackett calls the medical frigate _Pasteur_ to let them know to prep for Shepard's arrival, he has another call, this one from an unexpected source.

"Miranda Lawson? How did you get access to this channel?"

"I have my ways, Admiral. I'll be brief. You need to let me assist with Shepard's treatment."

"You know that she's alive?"

"As I said, I have my ways. I didn't stay ahead of the Alliance and Cerberus as long as I did without at least a few resources. I know what you must think of my past, but this isn't about me. I led the team that brought Shepard back last time. No one knows her medical history better than me, and I can help."

Hackett pauses for a moment. Though he is indeed familiar with some of the less savory details of her file, Shepard had vouched for Miranda when the ex-Cerberus operative joined the war effort and doubting the Specter's judgment has led to a great deal of suffering in the last 3 years. "Very well. The entire galaxy is counting on you to get this right. We owe Shepard a great deal."

"As do I, Admiral. She won't die."


	2. WWS: The Call

Today is the day that they're going to put the final names on the _Normandy_'s memorial wall and Samantha Traynor is finding it difficult to focus on work. To the galaxy, Shepard may have seemed like an invincible beacon of hope against the Reapers, but in the months Samantha has served under her, the commander has become more than a symbol. The comm specialist had been thrust into a situation she'd never expected and Shepard had been kind to her, helped her to adapt, to feel valued, and Sam saw her as a friend; if she was being honest with herself, she'd had a bit of a crush on her as well. To have her die now, unable to enjoy the victory she'd done more than anyone to win not only grieved Samantha, it offended her deeply held sense of fair play.

When the call comes in on the QEC, she isn't sure what to expect. She's only met Miranda Lawson once, at the party Shepard had thrown on the Citadel, but even when relaxing, there was something rather intimidating about the former Cerberus operative, and Samantha knows she must have a good reason to contact the _Normandy_.

"Miranda. How can I help you?"

"Specialist Traynor. I need you to put me through to Doctor T'Soni immediately"

"I'm not sure she's up to it right now." Liara has been in bad shape since the commander was presumed dead and the communications specialist doesn't want to disturb her as she prepares to say goodbye to her lover.

"Samantha, she'll want this call."

* * *

Liara sits in front of her console, brushing the tears from her eyes as she forces herself to look at the nameplates in front of her. Anderson had been a good man, but it's Shepard, her Shepard, that she still can't believe is gone and putting her name up on the wall feels like a surrender of what little hope she has left.

She'd been in the med-bay being treated for her injuries from Harbinger's attack when the Crucible had fired. At first, she'd been elated like everyone else, her pride in her bondmate compounding her joy and relief that the war was over. When they'd first landed after outrunning the blast wave, she'd hoped that everything would be all right, that they would make their repairs to the _Normandy_ and be back on Earth in a matter of days. Then the reports started coming in: of the damage to the relays, of a massive explosion on the Citadel, and of the silence that followed it. The quantum entanglement communicators allow the crew to receive reports from Earth, but since they can't act on them, they can also contribute to a terrible sense of helplessness. As the days had crawled by with no word from Ashara, Liara's heart had cracked into pieces, the possibility that her lover might still be alive growing fainter and fainter

Years ago, she had told Shepard that, because of their long lives, Asari prepared themselves to accept the death of a partner. To lose Ashara though, and especially to lose her like this, it's different. They've been in love since soon after they first met on Therum, but the galaxy had kept finding ways to separate them. The destruction of first _Normandy_, her hunt for the Shadow Broker, the time Shepard had been detained by the Alliance: in the three years since they met, they've only had a precious handful of months together, and now, for her to be gone when they should be able to live in peace at last is beyond horrible.

Lost in her grief, she barely notices as her terminal starts beeping, and when she finally answers, her voice is tight. "Samantha, what is it?"

"Miranda Lawson says she needs to talk to you."

"Tell her that this is not really the best time."

"She said... she said you would want the call."

"Very well."

Shepard. It has to be about Shepard. As Miranda's voice crackles into existence, the Asari finds herself terrified to hear what will come next.

"Liara." Miranda's voice is superficially as measured as always, but beneath the surface, the information broker can hear a slight undercurrent of emotion. "I thought you should be the first one to hear this. We found Shepard."

Liara gasps. She feels light-headed, like there's not enough air in the room, but then Miranda continues. "She's alive. She's pretty badly injured, but we've stabilized her. She's going to make it."

In that moment, she's overwhelmed as the tiny bit of hope that had been left inside the information broker suddenly expands, filling her whole being. She tries to reply, but as questions, gratitude, and happiness all try to get out at the same time, the best that she can manage is a stammer. Miranda just waits, saying nothing while Liara steadies herself, and after a minute, her mind is able to form a somewhat coherent question.

"How, how bad is it?"

"Not as dire as last time but still serious. Some fractures, moderate burns, a fair amount of blood loss… she's not conscious now and it'll be a while before she's up and around, but fortunately there isn't anything that shouldn't heal eventually."

"How long?"

"Physically, a few weeks perhaps. As for waking up, it's harder to say. There's no evidence of significant neurological damage, but these things are hard to assess, especially with all of the Prothean modifications she's had, and nobody knows quite what happened to her on the Citadel."

"I see. Please send me copies of all of her medical records."

"Of course, Liara. And don't worry; I'll take excellent care of her."

"Thank you, Miranda. I should allow you to get back to work."

Once she's off the line, the calm front that Liara had mustered earlier collapses. As she falls on the small bed in her quarters, all of the emotion she's been trying to keep inside herself the last few days comes pouring out, tears of relief flowing freely down her face. To have come so close, again, to losing Ashara and now to know that she's alive… for several minutes, she doesn't even try to do anything else; she just lets herself have this moment.

She's not sure how much time passes before she gets up, but when she does, she dries her eyes and calms her emotions. This isn't over; there is a great deal of work to be done before she can get home, and Shepard needs her to stay focused. First, though, the crew will have to be informed. Going back to her terminal, she calls Samantha and tells her that she's ready for the ceremony.


	3. WWS: Motivations

When Miranda Lawson had first seen Commander Shepard in person, her initial impression had been, "What a mess." The body she had brought back to her lab had barely been recognizable as the woman on the news vids and dossiers she'd studied in preparation for the Lazarus Project. While the commander's head had been largely intact, the rest of her body seemed more like meat than a living person. That had made it easier, she'd realized later, to see the Specter as a nothing more than an inspirational symbol that could be used to advance Cerberus' goals. It was why she'd been so willing to suggest the control chip. A promotional tool didn't need free will, only a recognizable face, and it had been Miranda's job to get that tool up and running.

Of course, the Illusive Man had had bigger plans for the Specter. When he'd told Miranda that Shepard would be put in charge of their mission to stop the Collectors and that she would be her XO, she had silently fumed. Though her study had given her a healthy appreciation for the commander's abilities, she'd viewed her as a wild card without an allegiance to Cerberus, not someone who could be trusted with so much autonomy. It had been one of the first times she had questioned her mentor's judgment and in the end, she'd been right. By the time that had been proven at the Collector Base however, Miranda no longer saw Shepard as an abstraction, but rather a woman she respected.

It hadn't happened quickly. At first, she'd been aggravated by Shepard to the point that, late one night, she'd complained about it to Jacob, the closest thing she had to a friend on the ship and the only person there to whom she could vent.

"She believes that she's always right. She ignores protocol. She has no respect for this organization."

Jacob had just sat there with that impassive face he so often wore, saying nothing while she'd continued. "And it wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't so infuriatingly capable. Back from the dead a week and she's still a better fighter and a stronger biotic than me…"

She'd had more, but before she could go on, Jacob had burst into a rare laugh. "What's so damn funny!?"

"Now you know how most people feel about you."

That was the moment that she'd decided to give Shepard a chance, but she has a harder time pinpointing exactly when it was that she'd become willing to betray Cerberus to side with her. Obviously, the commander's help in keeping Oriana safe had been important, but it was as much how she'd done it as what she'd done.

Until she met Shepard, Miranda had looked at social interactions as being fundamentally transactional, a trait which, annoyingly, she'd picked up from her father. Everyone wanted something from you, whether it was money, sex, or control. Niket had been an exception, but it wasn't something she'd expected to encounter so when she'd asked for Shepard's help in safeguarding Oriana, she'd thought that she'd have to bargain for it. The Illusive Man's favors had always come with strings attached, but the commander had agreed without hesitation or thought of recompense, and the contrast had started to open her eyes.

On one level, Miranda had joined Cerberus because it could protect her and her sister, but there was more to it than that. When she'd run away from home, she'd given up the purpose she'd been created for and the Illusive Man had been very good at filling that void. Some of the things she'd experienced in her time with Shepard had challenged her rosy view of her employer, but more than that, being part of a team, fighting the Collectors, had given her a different center to her life, and once she didn't need Cerberus anymore, she'd been able to see its true monstrousness.

She wouldn't have gotten there without Shepard though, and for that she owes her a great deal, especially given the gruesome fates of those who'd remained with Cerberus too long. It is that personal reason, as much as what the commander meant to the galaxy, that explains why the professional detachment Miranda had viewed her patient with three years ago has been replaced with genuine concern.

Physically, the commander seems to be healing well. Her bones have been set, skin grafts applied to her burns, and her lungs are now able to breath on their own. Still, she hasn't awakened. There are flickers of what seems to be awareness, but Miranda learned during the Lazarus Project that thanks to the Prothean Cipher, neurological scans of Shepard are unreliable. For now, there's nothing to do but wait.

* * *

When Shepard joined the Alliance 15 years ago, it had been because she wanted to save people. After living through the destruction of her home and her family, she was determined to stop that horror from happening to anyone else. It wasn't enough for Ashara to be a good solider. She needed to succeed no matter the odds, and for years she had. Elysium had been her finest moment; rescuing the colony there had helped her lay some of the ghosts of Mindoir to rest and it was that achievement that had put her on the fast track to become the first human Specter.

She thought that stopping Saren would be just another mission. She saved Eden Prime and Feros from destruction and with her team closing the net on the rogue Specter, victory seemed near at hand.

Virmire changed everything. It was there that she discovered the horrifying nature of her true enemy. It was also there that the cost of the war became personal. Kaiden had been a good soldier, a comrade if not a friend, and she had to leave him behind. His only crime was not being with the bomb she needed to safeguard and his death had devastated her.

In retrospect though, it had only been a preview of the losses to come. The teammates and friends she'd lost, the terrible choices she'd had to make, the worlds she'd watched burn… Bahak, Rannoch, Thessia, all of it had stretched her faith in herself to its limits. To carry on, she'd had to find strength anywhere she could. Most important was what she had to protect: the galaxy, the people around her, and, above anyone else, Liara. Though Ashara hadn't realized it at first, the asari was the one person who could hold her up when she felt weak, the one to whom she could admit just how much the war was taking out of her. She had also been the one who reminded Ashara that what was still left was worth not just fighting for but living for.

She'd also found hope in her conversations with Javik, and with the Leviathans. Their struggles and defeats had not made her despair. Instead, they reminded her that as dark as things looked, it was remarkable that there was still a chance of victory at all.

There was anger too. Cerberus and the Reapers, whatever their intentions, had committed crimes that were staggering in their scope and she couldn't rest until there was justice for that.

Now, though, it's done. Cerberus has been smashed to pieces. The Illusive Man died a pathetic puppet of forces he thought he could control. The Reapers must have been wiped out by the Crucible, or else she wouldn't be here. And she's just so tired.

She's in a warm, bright place. While there's still pain, it's dulled, less than it was on the Citadel. Dimly she can hear the voices of people concerned about her but if she wakes, there'll be a thousand questions that she can't find good answers to. It's easier to just sleep, to not think about all that she's lost, about having had to decide the future of every living thing. She can tell that she's healing. Eventually, she'll have to face what happened, but she just isn't ready for it to be now.


	4. WWS: Heading Back

As first days and then weeks spent fixing the relays crawl by, the waiting is difficult for Liara. Though the reports from Miranda indicate that Ashara is recovering physically, she still has not woken up, and not being able to be with her lover in her darkest moments is a wrenching pattern that the archeologist has already repeated too many times. When, after their first night together, Shepard had taken Wrex and Ashley with her to Ilos, it had been because she wanted to protect Liara from what might have been a suicide run, but sitting on the _Normandy_, waiting for word to come in had been nerve-racking. Far worse were the two years after she'd rescued the commander's body and handed it over to Cerberus, hoping that, somehow, they could pull off the impossible, and knowing that even if they did, Ashara would wake up in a lab without her. Even after they'd been reunited and defeated the Shadow Broker together, the burden of consolidating her new position had prevented Liara from going with Shepard through the Omega 4 relay, leading to yet another painful wait.

The Reaper War had been different: on Mars, Thessia, Cronos Station, and many other worlds they had fought together, but, during the final push on Earth when she'd been wounded by Harbinger, it had been agonizing watching Ashara leave, not knowing if she'd ever see her again. When she thought that she wouldn't, it had torn her apart and now, her bondmate is lying unconscious in a hospital bed and she needs to be there with her as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Tali and the _Normandy_'s engineers have led the other ships in the system in working miracles and as they prepare to return to Earth, Liara is in Shepard's quarters, packing a bag for her lover. When she thought that Ashara had died, she hadn't been able to bring herself to enter the cabin; there were too many reminders of happy times that seemed lost forever waiting for her there. Now, though, she's glad to be amid the memories of their time together, recalling them helping to ease her anxiety over the Specter's condition.

As she makes her way to the dressers, she pauses in front of the display holding Shepard's model ships, remembering the first time she'd seen them. She'd been afraid, even after the affection Ashara had shown her on the Shadow Broker's ship, that after two years and all that they had been through, the commander might not want to be with her anymore. Her nervousness had been unnecessary: she and Ashara had fallen so naturally into each other's arms that the time apart had melted away and after making love, they'd stayed up for hours talking, Liara knowing she should go soon but wanting so badly for their night not to be over. She'd noticed the ships carefully arranged in the case earlier, and when she'd asked about them, Ashara had gotten a wistful look in her eyes.

"I used to collect them when I was little. When you tell people from Earth that you grew up on a colony world, they always think you've been in space, but Mindoir was very provincial. I'd never been off-planet until after… I always wanted to go there though, to see the galaxy, and the models helped me to dream."

"I did not know that. You never had any of them in your old cabin."

"They were destroyed in the Batarian attack with everything else I had and afterwards, they just seemed childish I guess, part of the past that I was trying to put behind me. When I took over this ship though, the one of the SR-2 was already up there, and, I don't know…. I was in a pretty bad place then. I'd lost my ship, I was working with these damn terrorists, you were gone, and they reminded me of a happier time."

She'd paused then and kissed Liara tenderly before adding, "Like the picture of you on my desk."

It had been adorable how annoyed Shepard had gotten when she'd returned to the _Normandy_ after the invasion of Earth and discovered that the Alliance techs had made a mess of her collection, fuming, "I understand they had to go through the engines and the weapon systems, but did they really think there were Cerberus secrets in a replica of the _Destiny Ascension_?" They'd had so little time for those smaller moments, Liara thinks as she zips up the bag and makes her way back to elevator. Now, though, they finally have a chance to build something resembling a normal life together, if only Ashara wakes up. She will wake up. They've come too far together for Liara to believe anything else.

* * *

When Liara had told the crew that Shepard was alive, Garrus Vakarian been relieved as much perhaps for the galaxy as for his commander. She is his closest friend, and he would, and has, followed her to the gates of hell and beyond, but he is a turian, a soldier, and a certain stoicism about death is a deeply ingrained habit. Besides, unlike when they had been sucker-punched by the Collectors, this time Shepard had seemed to die in pretty much the most glorious way possible, saving the entire galaxy, and what soldier could ask for more?

The living, though, he's been pretty worried about. The last time the commander had died, everything she'd started had fallen apart without her. It wasn't that her crew hadn't been tough; even if they weren't Shepard, they'd been formidable enough to carry on the fight. The problem was that none of them had her ability to lead, to inspire even psychotic criminals, mercenaries, and bounty hunters to lay down their lives for her cause. Back then, Ash had been a grunt, Liara a loner, Tali barely more than a kid, and as for him, his attempt at leadership had gotten his whole team killed. Only Wrex, much as it annoyed Garrus to admit it, was a half-way decent leader, and his style of command didn't lend itself to diplomacy with anyone who didn't appreciate a head-butt as a negotiating tactic.

This time is different of course: the Reapers are gone and the galaxy is at peace, but how long will that last? One conflict can easily lead into the next if the aftermath isn't handled properly; the Rachni Wars had turned into the Krogan Rebellions, and there were plenty of other examples that spring to mind, from the Second Integration War and the War of the Shattered Mandible back on Palaven, to the human World War One that Zaeed had once told him about. He likes to think that her crew has grown since the Collector attack, but who besides Shepard has the trust or at least the respect of so many leaders? Wrex, the Primarch, even the Asari and the Salarians, to say nothing of their really odd allies like the Rachni and the Leviathans, all of them will listen to her about how to manage the aftermath of the war but he isn't clear anyone else can fill those shoes. For now, things are peaceful, with everyone basking in a certain amount of post-victory goodwill, but it won't last forever, and as the _Normandy_ makes it's final preparations to jump back to Earth, he's glad that, when it ends, Commander Shepard will be there to deal with the fallout.


	5. WWS: Room 217

When Liara and the rest of the team board the medical frigate _Pasteur_, the information broker immediately realizes that something out of the ordinary is going on. Miranda was supposed to be there to meet them when the shuttle arrives, but instead of the former Cerberus operative, there's a somewhat intimidated-looking ensign informing them that Ms. Lawson regrets that she's not able to be there in person and that they should follow him to room 217. As she, Tali, Garrus, and Ashley make their way toward Shepard's hospital room, there seems to be a buzz among the crew. A high level of activity is to be expected on a medical ship in the aftermath of a war, but Liara can tell that this is more than that. The rest of the team senses it too, and as they begin exchanging nervous glances, Liara fights to control a building sense of unease. When she hears over the intercom a call for a Doctor Shelby to report to room 217, though, any pretext of decorum is dropped and she breaks into a run, pushing ahead of the rest of the Specter's crew as well as their startled guide.

A cold fear fills the asari as she hurries through the corridors of the ship. Could Ashara have taken a turn for the worst? Could Liara have come all this way only to find… No, she won't let herself think that way. Shepard is strong, she wouldn't just die like this.

Despite her attempts to reassure herself, when she reaches the doorway of Room 217, Liara gasps to see a cluster of people huddled around her bondmate's bed. The pounding of her footsteps behind them causes some of the doctors to turn around, creating a space that allows Liara to see what had their attention before she arrived: Ashara Shepard, the woman she loves more than anything in the galaxy, sitting up in bed. She looks pale and tired, but her light green eyes are open, and as she sees the asari, her whole face breaks into a warm smile.

"Ashara!" Her terror turning to overwhelming joy, Liara drops the bag she had brought for the commander, knocking aside the doctors as she rushes to her lover's bedside, her voice chocking. "I thought… they said that you had not, that you were…"

Shepard's voice is half a whisper when she replies simply, "I heard you were coming."

* * *

Hours earlier, Shepard had been drifting at the edge of consciousness when a single word cut through the fog in her head: _Normandy_. Hearing it, she'd forced her mind to concentrate, to bring the distant voices into focus, and when what she presumed were doctors said that her ship was going to be returning that day, she'd known that she had to wake up. She'd made a promise, a promise that she would do her utmost to come back to Liara, and fulfilling that vow, along with the thought of seeing the love of her life again, had meant more to her than the fatigue that had still filled her body and soul.

As Liara sits down next to her on the bed, Shepard hears Miranda crisply slicing through the commotion the asari's arrival has created, telling the doctors, "Let's give them some space, shall we."

Ashara barely notices as the room clears out, her attention entirely on Liara. She gently places her sore arms around her bondmate, and she can feel tears warm her cheek as Liara covers her face in soft kisses. The information broker trembles slightly when Shepard moves her lips to meet her lover's, and as their embrace breaks, the asari pleads softly, "Join with me."

Shepard responds without words, relaxing her mind to let Liara in. The feeling of the bond is a familiar one, but this time Ashara is slightly overwhelmed by the flood of emotions coming at her, worry and relief, grief and happiness all mixed together, causing Shepard's heart to ache as she feels the pain in the asari's memories of the past several weeks.

"I'm so sorry I put you though this, Liara. Please forgive me, I, I didn't mean do it to you again…"

"It is all right, love. I think… I think that you can be excused considering what you accomplished."

Relief fills Shepard as those words echo in her mind. She doesn't know if she could have borne Liara's anger in that moment and feeling her love and pride instead salves Ashara's pain. She's aware of Liara experiencing that hurt as well, at first just seeing Shepard's awakening on the _Pasteur_, and then starting to delve into what happened before. Flashes run through their minds… the searing heat of Harbinger's blast throwing her to ground, the abattoir the Reapers had made of the Citadel, the helplessness she felt when she was forced to shoot Anderson… but Shepard stops her bondmate before she goes any deeper.

"Don't. I'm sorry, but I can't. I can't go back there. Not yet."

Liara's mind pulls back from the memories. "I can wait as long as you need me to, Ashara. I only wish that I had been with you. Whatever happened, you should not have had to face it alone."

"I didn't. Even though you weren't on the Citadel, you were still with me. You brought me back."

* * *

For a time afterwards, Liara just stays that way with Shepard, neither of them saying anything more, but their bond and the feel of her love's body pressed against her reassures the scientist that this is real, that after all they have been through, they are together again. She can sense, though, that as much as Ashara wants this to go on forever, she still needs rest. As the asari slowly withdraws her mind, Shepard protests weakly, "I'm okay. You don't have to…"

"Ashara, you should know better than to try to deceive the Shadow Broker. Especially when she is inside your mind."

"All right. I'll just rest for a little while though. I love you and I don't want to leave you for long."

"I love you as well, Ashara, but do not worry; I will stay with you while you sleep. Finally, we have all the time we need."

She settles in a chair next to her bondmate's bedside, and as Shepard slides back down onto the mattress, Liara takes one of her pale hands in her blue one, not wanting to totally relinquish contact with the woman she's missed so much. As Ashara drifts off to sleep, the scientist can only thank the Goddess that, somehow, they've made it to this moment. She's felt the pain and regret in the commander's mind, but whatever Shepard has to deal with, Liara will be there to face it with her.


	6. WWS: New Lives

The jealousy that Tali sometimes felt towards Liara's relationship with Shepard wasn't romantic. Once, when she'd been relatively new to the Normandy, she had thought that she might be in love with the commander, but that had been more a case of hero worship for the dashing human who'd saved her life. No, she was jealous because, for years, Shepard had been the most important person in that life and sometimes it stung a little that the feeling wasn't mutual.

When she'd joined back up with Shepard after Haestrom, she could tell the commander had been happy to have her in the crew. She'd come to visit Tali down by the engine room and when they talked, it felt like the good old days, like the young quarian wasn't heading off on a suicide mission to someplace no one had ever come back from. She'd been able to trust Shepard with anything, no matter how personal, and the Specter had never betrayed that trust, saving her from exile without revealing her father's secret to the Admiralty Board.

She hadn't been able to do the same for Shepard though. The engineer liked to think that she, and Garrus, and the rest of her friends helped the commander cope with her burdens, but Liara had an effect on her that none of them could duplicate. Tali remembered gossiping with Kasumi about the way Shepard had looked when the asari came back with her from the Shadow Broker's ship. For days afterwards the commander had walked around with a big smile and a lightness in her step, and Tali had wished that she could help her like that, make her forget all of her problems the way Shepard had always done for her. She knew her jealousy was silly, but standing in the hallway listening to Miranda fill them in on Shepard's awakening while Liara sat with the commander, it was hard not to feel a twinge of it.

She was, however, starting to understand why it was different for Shepard with Liara. Tali had never dated before, but now, with Garrus, she could see the effect that it could have. They'd been friends ever since their days on the original _Normandy_, and their bond had only deepened when they were the only two non-humans from Shepard's original crew on a Cerberus ship but as close as they'd been, since starting a relationship, it felt different for her. Tali gets a giddy little thrill whenever she thinks of the turian, her heart beats a little faster when she's around him, and she worries about his emotions and opinions more than she ever did before.

It's an exhilarating sensation, and one that she finds she needs right now, because aside from Garrus, she's feeling adrift in this new galaxy. Her entire existence has been defined by her duties and her battles: fighting against the Geth, the Collectors, and the Reapers has been what she did. Now, they're all beaten and she's not sure what comes next. She knows what her people want, what her father would have expected of her: that she go back to Rannoch, marry a quarian, have some children, and get to work remaking the planet into a proper home for her people. And yet…

Her whole life, the idea of reclaiming the homeworld had meant everything to her. Like every quarian, she'd fantasized about being the one that would take her people back to Rannoch, about standing on the soil of her ancestors atop the wreckage of the defeated Geth. And she had. Her name was already being mentioned with the greatest heroes in her people's history, and it should have been everything she'd ever dreamed of.

It wasn't. After the battle on Rannoch, Shepard had said that the Geth hadn't been entirely sentient in the same way that organics were, something that Legion had admitted when it was pleading its people's case. It had claimed that uploading the code would make them true intelligence, not that they already were. But even though that may have been the case for the rest of the Geth, Legion had been different. It had been her friend, and she'd killed it. She couldn't have let her people die instead, but that didn't mean that she had to feel good about literally stabbing a friend in the back. Now, Rannoch, and everything she'd done to reclaim it, was tainted by that act and she doesn't want to live there and be celebrated by people who don't understand.

She doesn't know where she wants to go. The crew of the _Normandy_, especially the people who've been with Shepard since the beginning, have seen and done so much that Tali's not sure that living with anyone else will ever totally feel like home. And yet, as much as they mean to each other, with the war over she knows the crew will start going their separate ways and she's just glad she has someone to help her figure out her path and maybe come along with her.

* * *

In the days after her reunion with Liara, Ashara's strength had begun to return. She was still weak, but she could stay awake for longer stretches, and even managed to get out of bed a few times, enough to confirm that, despite some pain, everything still worked more or less the way it should. On the downside, the news that she was awake had spread rapidly through the fleet, and it seemed that everybody wanted to talk to "The Savior of the Galaxy" as she was now apparently known. They wanted her to explain what happened on the Citadel, to tell them what they should do next, and to settle the disputes that had already started cropping up among the victors. It was everything she hadn't wanted to wake up and face; right now, she just needs a break from having the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders.

Thankfully, she's not alone. Liara, along with the rest of her team and Miranda, keep the politicians and admirals away from her and make sure she gets enough rest. True to her word, her bondmate stays by her side, sleeping in the chair next to her bed, only leaving once to shower and nap for a few hours somewhere more comfortable when Shepard insisted. As good as it is to have her lover there though, this isn't where Ashara wants to be, and three days after the _Normandy_ arrived, she tells Liara that she's ready to get out.

"Are you sure, love? Your recovery has been remarkable but…"

"I know. I'm still not 100%, but I can't stay cooped up in here any longer. I just want to be back on my ship, to be alone with you. Besides," she offers, "You know I heal fast. I always have."

"Very well," Liara agrees with a warm smile. "I will admit that would be wonderful. Let me speak with Miranda about when I can take you home."

After a bit of cajoling, the former Cerberus operative consents to discharge Shepard the next day, and the following morning, Ashara is making her way to the bathroom by her bed for a quick shower. Though Liara insists that she looks beautiful, after lying in a hospital bed for weeks Shepard feels sweaty and disgusting, and in any event, she needs a few moments alone to assess her condition before heading back to the _Normandy_. As she walks, the Specter's right leg is still sore, making her favor her left, but she waves off Liara's attempt to help her. She has to know what her body can do right now, and a little pain is nothing she's not used to.

When she strips off her hospital gown, Ashara takes a few moments to examine herself in the mirror, the first chance she's had to do so since the Citadel. The last time she'd come back, she'd felt broken and empty, and not just because of the people she'd lost. Her body hadn't been right for weeks after waking up despite the two years of work the Lazarus Project had put into reconstructing her. The facial scarring had been part of it, but her movements had also felt sluggish and her biotics had been far weaker than when she'd stopped Saren. In time and with use, she'd gotten her skills back to where they'd been, but it hadn't been easy.

Her condition this time isn't so bad given that it's only been a little over a month since the Battle of Earth. There's a scar on her abdomen, another on her right leg, and some smaller cuts and scrapes, all of which Miranda has assured her will, as before, fade over time. Some of her skin, especially on her torso, is a bit raw, still healing from the burns, and it feels tender when she brushes her fingers over it. Ashara also notes with a slight smile that her dirty blonde hair, which during her time in the Alliance she had always kept just above her shoulders, was now down well past them. She had worn it long when she was a girl, and now, maybe, she can afford the luxury of doing so again.

She had also been right that it was badly in need of a washing, and the water on her grimy skin feels wonderful. Standing for a prolonged period takes effort, but she grips the shower rail and lets her balance return slowly. If she could fight her way through a legion of security mechs after being dead, she can take a shower now.

After drying off, she throws on some grey N-7 sweats Liara brought her and, when she steps out of the bathroom, she finds her lover waiting for her with a quick, gentle kiss. Slipping a blue hand into Shepard's own, Liara leads her through the medical frigate to the shuttle that will bring them back to the _Normandy_.

On the ride there, Ashara sits quietly at first, just looking at the ships outside. Though much of the fleet survived the battle with the Reapers, it sustained extensive damage and there are a hundred repairs underway. Having spent so much of the last few years watching things break and breaking them herself, it's nice to see them coming back together for a change.

"Are you all right, Ashara," her lover asks. "You seem far away."

"I'm okay, but… I know the galaxy still needs me, and I want to help, but it has to be in a different way. I'm tired of war."

Liara slides her arms reassuringly around her bondmate as she continues. "I feel like I've been so many people already. A farm girl, a soldier, the Specter fighting the Reapers, and now I need to figure out another life."

"We will figure it out together, love."

Her words are calming, reassuring the commander that whatever comes next, she'll have someone to share it with, and as she feels Liara's breath warm against her ear, a flush of desire blossoms within her. She wants Liara's skin against hers, reminding her of the good they still have in spite of all that's been lost. Turning in the asari's embrace, she kisses her bondmate passionately, the feel of Liara's soft lips against hers only reinforcing her wanting. "I'm so glad you're here with me," Ashara says quietly. "There's nothing that means more to me about a new life than having you in it, and when we get back to the ship, I want to prove that to you."

Liara's freckled face shows a certain ambiguity. "Shepard, I… I want that too, very much. But are you sure you are well enough?"

Shepard wants to assure her lover that she's all right, but her body still aches from the walk to the shuttle and if Liara doesn't know it now, she will if they join. "I'm not totally well yet," she admits, a pleading note in her voice, "There's still pain. But I need this. I need you."

"All right, Ashara. But this time, please let me do most of the work."

Shepard kisses the asari again, more softly than before. "Okay. I can do that."

"Besides," Liara adds, running her fingers through Shepard's slightly damp hair, "I think that saving the galaxy entitles you to a little special treatment."


	7. WWS: Alone at Last

The shuttle bay is empty when Shepard disembarks. Most of the crew had already come to see her on the _Pasteur_ and she had told Liara not to announce that they were returning that morning, wanting to slip in quietly. When the couple gets off the elevator at Ashara's cabin, the commander finds that everything is more or less as she left it when she went to Earth over a month ago: there are a few signs of rummaging, which she supposes come from Liara looking for the personnel effects she had brought her, but otherwise, it's comfortably familiar.

"Are you still sure you are well enough for this?", Liara asks as they cross the room. Shepard answers with a nod and a kiss, and the asari helps her take off her shoes and ease onto the bed. It's more spacious and definitely more comfortable than the one in the hospital and after the strain of the walk here, it feels very pleasant to take the weight off of her right leg and just spread out, especially given what she has to look at.

While Ashara settles in, Liara begins slowly unbuttoning her long white jacket, letting it slip off of her now-bare shoulders, before moving on to her sleeve-less top, pants, and boots. Despite the many times Shepard has seen the lovely asari's soft curves revealed to her before, she's still entranced. Buried under the rubble on the Citadel, the thought of Liara was what she'd held onto, and to be here, watching this now, is incredible. Her bondmate smiles down at her, affection shining in her big blue eyes, and if Shepard didn't know better, she could almost believe that she was still up there and that this was the last good dream her mind was giving her.

* * *

Hooking her fingers through the waistband of her thin white panties and slipping them down her legs, Liara thinks for a moment of the first time she'd been naked with Ashara, before their mission to Ilos. She'd been self-conscious then, and the commander had been so gentle, reassuring her that she was beautiful and desirable, showing her how to do so many wonderful things she'd never experienced before. Now, it's her turn to take the lead and she's determined to be just as good to Ashara as the Specter was to her three years earlier.

Lying down on the bed next to her lover, Liara caresses her cheek and gives her an affectionate kiss before carefully removing Shepard's sweats, uncovering her wounded body. There are differences from what she remembers, fresh scars, the skin paler than it was, but it's still her Ashara. No one but Liara calls her that, just like there's no one else that gets to see the commander this way: unclothed, vulnerable, wanting.

The asari begins running her hands lightly over Shepard's skin, getting a feel for the new topography of her body. She avoids the places where it's still tender, letting her bondmate's reactions guide her. As her fingers slide underneath one of Ashara's breasts to cup the sensitive flesh there and the nipple hardens against Liara's thumb, the human lets out a happy sigh, letting the scientist know that whatever discomfort her partner might be in, this is bringing her more pleasure than pain. Encouraged, she lowers her mouth to Shepard's other breast, her lover's body arching to meet her and her hands caressing the asari's back. As Liara sucks on the nipple, Ashara moans with pleasure and the asari feels her own body flush with desire, responding to the sounds Shepard is making, but she tries to ignore it, wanting her focus to be on her bondmate.

Trailing light kisses down Shepard's stomach, the asari slides her plain black underwear off, uncovering the last of her lover's skin. She tangles her fingers through the short blonde hair above Ashara's sex, and when she runs them over the human's opening, she finds her already slick with anticipation. First one and then two of her fingers slide in easily and Liara feels a throbbing between her own legs at how wet and hot Ashara feels around her. While slowly thrusting with her hand, she gradually moves her tongue up Shepard's inner thigh before letting it replace her digits, licking at Shepard's folds. As the taste and smell of her lover fills her senses, she's overwhelmed by how much she's missed this, the visceral connection with Ashara reminding her that she really has her back. She desperately wants to initiate the joining, but she hesitates, knowing that if she does, her lover will feel her need, sense how badly she wants Shepard's mouth on her as well. The commander will want to reciprocate and she worries about putting undue strain on her still-sore bondmate.

Pushing aside her craving, she keeps her attention on Ashara, her tongue finding her clit with practiced ease. Liara skillfully establishes a rhythm, her mouth pleasuring her lover's most intimate places while her hands caress her hips, eliciting the most delightful moans and gasps from the commander. As she feels Shepard's arousal building, though, her bondmate stops her with a gentle press of her hand against the asari's crest.

Wait," Ashara breathes, "I need to touch you too."

Liara swallows hard. She's aching for that, but she's still concerned about Shepard. "I thought we agreed I would do the work."

"I know. But please, let me feel you. I want it so much."

Unable to deny the desire she hears in her Shepard's voice, Liara responds by shifting her body around to give the commander access to her while her mouth resumes its work. When Ashara slides a hand between her legs, the jolt of pleasure that runs through her is immediate and powerful. She's soaking wet and the simple feel of her lover's hand resting on her center is enough to make her unconsciously push her hips against Shepard.

"Join with me," Ashara whispers hoarsely, and Liara needs no further encouragement, any chance of pretending she's not hopelessly turned on gone. Her eyes darken and she reaches out her thoughts, finding the human completely receptive to her.

* * *

As their minds meld, the strength of the feelings being shared pauses Shepard. Powerful desire, longing, and deep, abiding love all flow through her and she takes an instant to savor them even as Liara resumes her ministrations. The asari's wet tongue feels amazing, hitting all the right spots, but she senses Liara craving more. She wants that too, desiring the taste of Liara on her lips, the feeling of her lover's thighs wrapped around her, and she shifts so that her mouth can replace her hand.

Her body aches as she twists and she hears Liara's voice echo in her mind. "Love, are you sure? I can feel…"

"Don't worry. I'm tough, remember? We both need this."

Feeling the truth of that statement in Ashara's thoughts, Liara relents and as Shepard's mouth makes contact with her lover's core, the rush of pleasure she senses in her thrills the human. Shepard gasps as Liara's tongue continues to bathe her clitoris and dart over and between her folds and she slips her own tongue inside her lover, enjoying her warm, sweet taste. She's wanted this, exactly this, so badly, and the reality of it is better than any dream. She can feel the ecstasy starting to crest within them, the pleasure she's getting and receiving merging as their voices run together across the joining, trying to express all that they're feeling. "Yes, more, so good, I love you, love you too, missed this, missed you, here now, yes, don't stop…"

When Liara gently pulls Shepard's clitoris into her mouth and flicks her tongue over the head, it's finally too much, and as her building orgasm erupts from within Ashara, she feels the asari tumble over the edge with her, their peaks shared in a long moment of pure bliss extending into a series of delicious aftershocks as their tongues continue to caress their almost painfully sensitive clits.

As their thoughts slowly pull apart, Liara crawls up alongside Ashara, kissing her tenderly on the lips, their tastes mingling in a familiar combination. The asari looks utterly contented, and despite some soreness in her side, Ashara doesn't regret a thing, her clit still throbbing pleasantly, her mind at peace. Stroking her lover's crest, she whispers, "Thank you. I know I did more than we planned, but I needed that so much."

Liara nuzzles the crook of her neck and replies affectionately, "You could tell how much I wanted that too. As long as you are all right, I don't think that I can object."

"I'm fine," Shepard nods, "I feel wonderful," and she kisses her bondmate lightly on her forehead before curling up next to her and falling asleep, the pain of the past and the uncertainty of the future forgotten for a time.


	8. WWS: The Choice

Ashara wakes to the pleasant sensation of Liara gently stroking her hair. She rolls over to see the Shadow Broker sitting on the side of the bed clad in a dark blue bathrobe of Shepard's that contrasts quite nicely with the asari's lighter colored skin. Groaning when she looks at the clock and finds it's late afternoon, she smiles sleepily up at her partner. "I guess that really did tire me out. Still completely worth it, though."

The smile the asari returned to her was both satisfied and happy. "I am glad to hear it. How do you feel?"

"Getting better. What's that I smell?"

"I had the mess send up your favorites; eggs and sausage along with some coffee. I told you saving the galaxy merited some pampering."

"Aw, sex AND breakfast in bed. You really are good to me."

As Liara sets down the tray containing their breakfast, she gives the commander an affectionate kiss. "You did so much my love. More than anyone else could have. And I'm going to make sure that you are properly rewarded for it."

"I couldn't have done it without you. You should get something too."

"I have exactly what I want right here." Liara's voice is loving but forceful, reassuring Ashara not to worry about her. For a long time after they met, Shepard had underestimated the asari. Her inexperience, her soft-spoken manner, her occasional stuttering, combined with finding her in a stasis trap on the run from hostile Geth, all of it had convinced Ashara that she needed the commander to protect her.

When they'd been hunting down the Shadow Broker, she'd been worried about Liara, afraid she was in over her head and that her obsession with her quarry was consuming her, at least until they reached the heart of his giant ship. Watching Liara keep her composure while baiting the yagh into losing his, Shepard had had a moment of clarity. All that Liara had done to save her, to save Feron: she wasn't a damsel in distress, she was a hero too. It was a revelation that was only reinforced when Liara brought down the lightning storm that disintegrated the Broker, and after that, the way Shepard thought about her relationship with the scientist had changed.

Shepard had fallen for Liara soon after they'd met, her kindness, beauty, and intelligence quickly winning the commander's heart, but knowing how strong the asari was made being with her truly special for Ashara. She'd never had a partner she could tell her doubts and fears to, but back on the _Normandy_ after Hagalaz, she'd been able to admit to Liara how worried she was about their impending trip through the Omega 4 Relay.

As it turned out, she'd succeeded brilliantly in that mission, destroying the Collector Base without losing any of her crew, but the Reaper War hadn't gone nearly as smoothly. Though there'd been times, especially after Thessia, when she'd needed to help Liara hold up, the asari had given her strength too. When Ashley had been beaten into a coma on Mars, after her agonizing choice of the Quarians on Rannoch, before the assault on Cronos Station, Liara had been there and Ashara knows that she can trust her with anything, even the secret that's eating at her.

Watching her bondmate wolf down her food, Liara smiles when Ashara begins reminiscing about a time the same meal had been served back on the old _Normandy_.

"So as I recall, this was after we got back from Feros and Wrex had been drinking heavily on account of that Thorian weirdness. Anyway, he was hung-over, which made him both late for breakfast and cranky, especially since, by the time he got there the eggs and sausages were already gone."

"I was not there that morning, love, but according to Garrus, you had eaten a considerable proportion of them."

"Hey, using biotics makes you hungry. You know that. So, all that's left is this terrible oatmeal. Even for ship food, this stuff was bland, and after a couple of bites, Wrex starts grousing, going on about how there has to be something else to eat. The whole time, he keeps looking at the poor cook, Corporal Gladstone, like it might be him on the menu if he doesn't come up with a better idea."

"And Gladstone, he stared Wrex right in the eye and said 'Maybe I can whip up some krogan testicle surprise. That is, if you have any ingredients.' The way Wrex looked at the corporal, there was an instant there I was afraid I'd have to shoot him right there in the mess. After a minute, though, he just flashed that big, toothy grin of his and burst out laughing," Shepard recalls, chuckling at the memory. "Ate his damn oatmeal too!"

It was good, hearing the lightness in Ashara's laugh, but as the human finishes her breakfast and lies back in Liara's arms, resting her head against the scientist's chest, the mood suddenly turns serious.

"Liara, I think…. I think I need to tell you about the Citadel now."

"If that is you want, you know that I am glad to listen."

"What I want is to just be here with you and pretend that everything was as simple as we thought it was going to be. That I pushed a button, fired the Crucible, and bang, that was it for the Reapers."

Liara pulls her arms around her lover, trying to ease Ashara's pain. The commander is the strongest person she's ever met, and she doesn't know what could have happened up there to affect her like this. "Whatever it is, love, let me carry it with you."

With that, everything that happened after they'd been separated on Earth pours out of the commander. The injuries she'd taken in Harbinger's assault, the abattoir they found on the Citadel, the Illusive Man making her shoot Anderson, her finally killing the Cerberus leader… Liara is sympathetic, but at first she's still confused, not sure what made this mission so different from all of the horrors Ashara had overcome before.

When Shepard comes to her meeting with the Catalyst and tries to explain the final choice that it offered though, Liara finally understands. Sitting here, well-rested, on a comfortable bed, with all the time in the world to think, the implications are still almost impossible to fathom. She can hardly imagine having had the future of the galaxy in her hands under the circumstances Ashara faced: badly wounded, exhausted beyond belief, and with every second she pondered allowing the Reapers more time to destroy the allied fleets.

"Controlling the Reapers was something I didn't really consider. The Illusive Man was mad; nobody should have that power, least of all someone who'd given up their humanity."

Liara feels a shudder go through her at the thought of Ashara becoming something so alien, holding her bondmate a little tighter while she continues.

"Synthesis, though, I wasn't sure. After so much death, it appealed to the part of me that just wanted an end to it, to find a way to finish the whole conflict and make sure it wouldn't come back in any form. At the same time… It's funny, but I thought of that party on the Citadel, of our friends in all their weirdness, and changing that, turning everyone into god knows what without their permission, it didn't feel right. I once told the Illusive Man I wouldn't sacrifice the soul of our species to win, and I was afraid that's what synthesis would've meant."

"The Leviathans, the Catalyst, they'd tried to find a perfect solution and it led to millions of years of horror. I didn't want to make the same mistake, which just left destroying the Reapers. And I wanted to; everything they'd done, I wanted to make them pay, to get what justice there could be for all those dead. I knew what it would cost; the damage to the relays, everything else, but it still seemed right."

"Besides, I think the Catalyst was wrong that we'd always be at war with synthetics. EDI is… was created from an insane VI merged with Reaper tech and programmed by Cerberus, but she still became our ally, our friend. And I…"

Shepard's pale green eyes start to fill with tears as Liara tries to reassure her, "You did the right thing. The alternatives were not…"

"The damned thing of it is, I'll never be sure. There's no way to know what would've happened if I'd done something else and I worry that I was wrong. And that maybe I rationalized. Maybe I did what I did so that I could have a chance to be with you again."

Liara tenderly wipes away her tears. "My beautiful love," the Shadow Broker says softly in her bondmate's ear, "I know you better than that. You would have put the mission first and done what was right, whatever it cost you. You always have and it is something I have always admired about you. In the worst possible circumstances, you still made the choice that saved all of us and didn't compromise who we are. That you got to come back to me may be the best bonus I can imagine, but I know it is not why you did it."

Hearing those words from the woman she trusts more than anyone, Ashara chokes up. "Liara, I… I appreciate that. More than I can say. I don't know who else I can tell this to, but I needed you to understand."

She can see Liara's eyes moistening as well. "I do. And that you love me enough to even wonder if you put me before the whole galaxy, it means a great deal."

Shepard turns, tilting her neck to catch the asari's soft lips against her own. "That changes though; I've had to put the mission ahead of everything else for so long, but now, you come first. I've left you enough times already."

"I never blamed you," Liara replies through her tears. "There were times I had to do that as well. When I saw you on Illium, and after I became the Shadow Broker, I wanted so much to come with you, but I couldn't."

"I know you did and I know why you couldn't. I mean, if you hadn't found the Crucible plans when you did..."

"I love you, Ashara. And now, you will always come first for me as well."

"I love you, too, Liara. Always."


	9. WWS: Vacation

"We are taking a vacation, Ashara."

Liara's tone leaves little room for debate, but Shepard still has her reservations. It's been a month since she left the hospital and though the relays are largely back on-line, the galaxy is still in fragile shape. Not only did the Reapers kill countless beings, the devastation they caused has left billions more injured, homeless, stranded on the wrong planet, or all of the above. The _Normandy _has been helping with the relief efforts, ferrying supplies and people from system to system, and she's not sure they can abandon that now.

"There's still so much to do, Liara."

"That is true, but it does not mean you have to do all of it. Ashley can take command of the ship for a few weeks, and you can get some much needed rest."

"I'm feeling all right."

"Perhaps physically. But mentally, I know that you need the break. You are not sleeping well."

"Neither are you."

"I am not." Liara concedes. She's been pretty much living in the commander's quarters since Shepard got back, and there are nights when the asari wakes in a sweat, forgetting that Ashara is alive and requiring her bondmate's arms around her before she can fall asleep again. "And that is all the more reason why we need this time."

"I know, you're right. I promised I'd put you first, and I meant it but where exactly are we going to go? There are so few places left untouched."

"That, love, is why you are fortunate to be dating the Shadow Broker. Among the assets I acquired were a number of safe houses. One of them is on a small planet in the Crescent Nebula. It is otherwise uninhabited, so the Reapers did not attack it, and it is apparently quite pleasant at this time of the year."

It does sound good. Assisting the refugees makes her feel better but at the same time, the aftermath of the carnage, seeing how much she hadn't been able to save, takes its toll. The reactions of the people they met were sometimes off-putting as well. She'd never minded being seen as a hero before; she'd been proud of saving others and the gratitude could remind her of what she fought for, but now some of the survivors look at her as if she's some kind of messiah, acting like her touch will magically heal them. It can be exhausting, and getting away from it for a time is appealing.

"All right. I'll go talk to Ashley. Besides," she adds with a sultry smile, "It will be nice to have you all to myself for a while."

"I will definitely look forward to that," Liara replies, and the look she returns to Ashara puts an extra spring in her step as she goes to find the Lt. Commander.

* * *

"Thanks, Ash. It'll just be for a few weeks."

"No problem, skip. If anybody deserves a vacation, it's you."

As Shepard leaves, Ashley takes a moment to appreciate what has just happened. Three years earlier, she'd thought it was an incredible break just to get reassigned to the _Normandy_ and now she's going to be commanding it. In between, of course, that stuff had largely stopped mattering. There hadn't been much time to worry about your lousy assignments or appreciate your promotion when you might be dead in the next few minutes and your whole species in the next few months.

Now, however, she has a chance to take a breath and think about the changes. She'd always resented that her whole life, she'd been tied to someone else's name, that what her grandfather had done at the Battle of Shanxi was always holding her back. When she met Shepard, Ashley had appreciated that the commander didn't give a damn about her name, which is why it's ironic that now, it's her that she's always going be associated with. She has no doubt what the first line in her obituary is going to read: "Ashley Williams, Specter, such and such rank, who served under Commander Shepard during the Reaper War, has died at the age of whatever…"

It's not like it's a bad connection for people to make. She respects the hell out of Shepard and clearly, it's doing wonders for her career. Still, she'd always wanted to be judged on her own merits, and while it beats being held back for no good reason, being made a Specter because she'd fought by Shepard's side isn't exactly what she wants either. Before, she tried to get what she'd earned; now she's worried about whether she was earning what she was getting.

Really though, how many people ever got to be judged on their own merits? Tali, Miranda, her… so many of those who'd served with Shepard had been defined by their heritages more than their achievements and now, whoever they'd been before, now they'll always be her crew. Ashley supposes there are worse fates.

* * *

"What is that? I thought we were going to be on vacation."

Arriving at the shuttle bay, Ashara sees that in addition to a couple of suitcases, her bondmate has also brought some of the communications equipment from her office.

"We are, Ashara, but it is important that I be able to keep up with my operations."

Shepard shoots her a somewhat disapproving look. "Listen, if I can leave the ship with Ashley for a few weeks, you can let Feron and Glyph manage things on your end while we're gone." Softening her tone, she adds, "We talked about this, my beloved Shadow Broker. You need the break too, and you won't get it with that thing beeping at you all the time."

Liara sighs. "You are right, Ashara. It's just… it is hard to step away from the work."

"I know," Shepard agrees, putting her arms around the asari and kissing her, "It's hard for me too. We'll just have to keep each other honest."

As Liara nuzzles against her neck, Ashara can hear the distinctive sound of Garrus' heavy footsteps. "You couldn't wait until you were down the on planet?", he snarks, as he comes into view of the couple.

Liara blushes slightly. "Garrus, we were not expecting you."

"Well, I wanted to see you two off. It may be the my last chance given that Steve told me Shepard decided to pilot the shuttle down herself."

"I will admit I do have some misgivings about that choice. I still cannot look at taxis quite the same way after the incident on Illium."

"Hey," Ashara objects. "Am I driving a tank up a 60 degree incline with Geth shooting rockets at us? Am I going to have to force down a mine-dropping rogue Specter using an unarmed sky-car? No? Then I think I'll be fine."

Garrus and Liara both laugh. "You do have a point, love. It is not as if I was volunteering to drive back then."

"And of course," Garrus adds, "Cortez did get shot down back on Earth."

"Thank you." Shepard gives the two of them a vindicated smile. "Now let's get this stuff loaded on the shuttle."

"And if it is not too much trouble, Garrus, would you mind taking this terminal back to my office."

The turian shoots Liara a puzzled look but he does it, and a few minutes later, the Kodiak is pulling out of the _Normandy_'s shuttle bay. As the ship falls away and the lush garden world beneath them starts to fill her field of vision, Ashara realizes that this is the first time since they met three years ago that it's really just her and Liara with no distractions.


	10. WWS: Coming Back

"So, do you think they'll even get out of bed this trip? Can't say I'd blame them if they didn't. I mean, damn, who wouldn't want to…"

Even as the shuttle disappeared from the window of the _Normandy_'s observation deck, Javik was silently walking away from James Vega. No Prothean soldier would have dared to make such impertinent comments about their commanding officer, and once, that would have been sufficient grounds for him to verbally if not physically lacerate the Lieutenant. Now, despite his irritation, he lacked the conviction to say anything.

"Though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Before the final battle, the dark-haired human female Lt. Commander Williams, had quoted those lines, and though he had no idea what they meant to her, they had taken on a very personal significance for the last Prothean. It was his people who were that strength of old. They had shaped a galaxy to their wills while the ancestors of those he derided as primitives were still scampering about in the dirt, and yet for all their power, they had died.

When he had awakened, he had been unimpressed both by the younger races struggling against the Reapers and by the human who was trying to lead them. The people were divided, backwards, and unruly while the commander let herself be diverted by sentiment and held back by mercy. Despite developing a grudging respect for her prowess in battle, he had expected that, at best, she would take a few of the Reapers with her before her inevitable defeat.

And yet, in spite of the odds, she had strove and had not yielded and when, impossibly, she had triumphed, he found he no longer knew what to believe. Without Prothean technology or Prothean ruthlessness, she had succeeded where those whom he had once arrogantly considered her betters had failed. He had told the commander that if the war was won, he would help her asari mate write a book, but though he intended to honor his promise, he now realized he could not now speak to what his people had been. He needed time to explore this age, to find out more of what it knew that his cycle had not, to understand what had made Shepard the one who had succeeded where he had failed.

* * *

As she stood in the tall grass feeling the wind in blow through her hair, Ashara reflects that Liara had been right; this time away is exactly what the human had needed, even more than she'd realized when she'd agreed to come. Not counting the two years spent being dead, she'd only had one break since taking command of the _Normandy_, and that one hadn't been particularly restful. Sitting in Alliance detention, answering inane questions about her ties with Cerberus, watching her information being ignored, the relative physical comfort she'd enjoyed had been accompanied with mental torment. With nothing to do but worry about the Reapers and miss Liara, she hadn't so much relaxed as stewed, furious that the whole galaxy might be lost because those idiots wouldn't let her do her job.

No, that had been a very different sort of "vacation" than the one she's enjoying now. The house is nothing special, impersonal but comfortable and well-stocked, a bit like a medium-priced hotel, but the planet itself is a different story. Warm, lush, and vibrant, it reminds her of how much she likes being in nature. She'd grown up on a farm, but though she'd visited a lot of interesting worlds since joining the Alliance, she'd generally been there in full combat armor with people trying to kill her, leaving little room for her to appreciate her surroundings. Walking outside, the sun on her face, the smell of the plants, the sound of birds and insects, all of it reminds her of a time before she carried the burdens she does now.

She knows that for some people it would be different, but though she's tired of war and death, the memories of what she's seen aren't the hardest ones for her to bear. At 16, she watched her home burn and her family die, and as terrible as some of the things she's witnessed since then have been, after getting through Mindoir, nothing else has hit as hard.

Instead, what's the most difficult for her are the choices she's had to make. Before the Reaper invasion, she'd always been confidant in her decisions and during it, she made the hard calls when necessary, but they'd just been so momentous and so frequent that it was hard to process all that had happened Curing the Genophage, saving the Quarians rather than the Geth, working with the Leviathans, and especially destroying the Reapers; all of those calls could shape the future of the galaxy and she'd scarcely made one before the next had been thrown in front of her. Knowing that, in the end, they led to victory helps, but so many died, often as a result of her choices, that it still hurts. Especially with the future so uncertain, it's hard to stop her mind from rehashing them endlessly, wondering if she could have done something different, something better.

That, more than anything is what's kept her from sleep, and when she lies in bed at night, her mind unable to turn itself off, Liara has been her angel. Her bondmate stays up with her for as long as she needs, listening patiently, letting Ashara talk through the decisions, the frustrations, and the doubts, offering what reassurance there is the face of so many unanswerable questions.

There is no magic wand that can instantly banish the pain in Shepard's mind, but Liara is living up to her promise to help her carry it, and never more so than at the end of their first week there. They'd made love in the middle of the afternoon, an indulgence they'd never been able to afford before, and though it had been passionate and wonderful, afterwards, Ashara had felt those pangs of guilt and regret she'd been having trouble banishing.

* * *

"There's something that Tali told me after we destroyed the Reaper on Rannoch," she'd admitted to Liara as the asari lay stretched out on the bed next to her, her sweat drying in the warm breeze blowing in, "that I can't seem to get out of my head. The rest of the Quarians were all ecstatic, but it wasn't the same for her. She said that she had her homeworld back and all she had to do to get it was to kill a friend. When I'm with you… god, you make me feel like nothing else can, but to get back to you, to feel that way again, I…I destroyed EDI."

Liara leaned over and gently caressed her neck with slim blue fingers. "Ashara, do not do this to yourself. If you did not destroy the Reapers for us, then you did not kill EDI for us either."

"I know, but even so. Liara, have you seen Joker since Earth? Between his family not making it off Tiptree and EDI, it's like all the fight's gone out of him. He doesn't crack jokes, he doesn't complain, and honestly, I'm afraid to give the rest of the crew shore leave because without a ship to fly, I think there's a pretty good chance he'll eat his gun. All the times he pulled my ass out of the fire, and this is his reward? Me doing this to him? It's not fair."

"This war was not fair. None of it. What you did… it was about more than us, or EDI. It was about what was right for the galaxy."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You would not be the woman I fell in love with if you did. But it does mean that you do not have to torture yourself in this way. Sometimes, I think you have difficulty remembering what a remarkable thing you accomplished. For millions of years, the galaxy fought the Reapers over and over again. Every time, they all perished, and the same would have happened to us if not for you."

"I didn't do it alone."

"No, but you were the key. You were the one who warned us, who brought us together, and who finished the war when no one else could have. I have been in your mind, love. I've felt the pain you were in on the Citadel, the strength it took at the end, and if you had not succeeded as you did, I would have died, and so would Ashley, and Garrus, and Tali, and Joker and EDI as well. Just because you could not save everyone doesn't mean that you have not earned all of the happiness you can get."

Her assured tone, the reminder of how close the woman she loved and everyone she cared about had come to death, had punctured Shepard's guilt. "I know," she sighed. "During the war, with Javik and the Leviathans reminding me of all the cycles that went before, just getting through felt like more of a miracle. Now, though, looking at what happened, there's just so much that we lost."

Burying her head in Ashara's chest, the asari whispered, "You did not lose me."

"I don't know what I would've done if I had. When that tank exploded…If you'd been…"

"I wasn't. And even if I had been, you would have finished the mission. You are a hero," she reassured the commander.

"I guess you're right. I would have. But I don't know if... I was so tired when it was over, and it was you that got me through it."

"You made it." Liara pressed her hand against Shepard's face, reminding herself as well as her bondmate of that truth. "You came back to me."

"I did." Shepard turned her head and kissed Liara's palm, and then her wrist, and as their lips met, she really did feel back.


	11. WWS: Two Sides

As she slides down onto the couch and into Ashara's arms, the human lets out a contended sigh and Liara can't help but be amazed by the change in her bondmate since they arrived on the planet. For as long as the asari has known her, there have been two sides to the woman she loves; once, in a particularly scientific mood, she'd categorized them as "Commander Shepard" and "Ashara." It's Commander Shepard that most of the galaxy knows; the soldier, the hero, the person who's name will live forever. She's fearless, and compassionate and incredibly tough, and she gets angry when idiots get in the way of her mission or innocents are being hurt.

Ashara, by contrast, very few people know. She's the one who grew up on a farm, who collects model ships, and listens to old love songs, and sometimes hogs most of breakfast. She's also the one who can be vulnerable, who hurts when she can't save people, and who sometimes wakes in the middle of the night with bad dreams. She's tender, and passionate, and incredibly beautiful, and she's Liara's just as the asari scientist is hers.

It would be a mistake to think that Ashara is the real her and the commander is just a mask she wears. They're both part of who Shepard is, and Liara loves the whole, amazing person. After all, it was the commander that she initially met when she saved her life on Therum, and who an inexperienced asari scientist first fell for.

She remembers that day, trapped in the Prothean stasis field with no clue how she would escape, trying to fight down a rising sense of panic, when suddenly, this incredible, dashing human had appeared. She and her team quickly dispatched the Geth, fighting with a power and efficiency that amazed even someone who'd grown up around her mother's commando squads. When she'd released Liara though, she'd turned kind, reassuring the young asari before switching back into a formidable warrior, besting the Krogan Battlemaster who stood in their way and leading them out of the collapsing ruins. Liara's crush on Shepard had been born that day, and when she'd discovered that the commander shared her feelings, she'd been thrilled.

Ashara had taken her more time to get to know. Slowly, over time, her lover had opened up to her, showed her the parts of herself that she usually kept hidden, at least since the destruction of Mindoir. When, during their reunion after Liara became the Shadow Broker, Ashara had admitted to her how worried she was about her mission, about the people she might lose, it had meant a great deal to the archeologist that she could tell her that.

All of those traits would always be a part of her lover, and Liara would never want it any other way, but during the last few months, she had been worried that the balance between them was being lost. The ability to compartmentalize, to put everything else aside and be the hero when she needed to, was a large part of what made Shepard so good at what she did, but under the unrelenting pressure of the Reaper War it seemed at times that the commander was drowning out Ashara. Only rarely, during a few of their nights together, at the party she threw on the Citadel, had she been able to be anything other than a soldier and here, away from it all, it's been heartening for the asari to see her lover's other side reemerge.

They have more time now: time to talk about silly, trivial things, to take long walks together, and to make love without the desperate edge that comes from being afraid it might be the last chance they'll ever get. Sometimes, they'll just sit together, reading or watching a vid, not even speaking, just enjoying each other's presence. Being able to do that, not having to fill every free minute with something important, is a wonderful luxury and Liara call tell that it's these little moments as much as their weightier talks that have contributed to her bondmate's improving mental state.

The time has been good for Liara as well. Having Ashara here with her, feeling the touch of her skin, the warmth of her body in bed next to her every night, the immense love they share across their bond, all of it has gone a long way towards reminding the asari that she really didn't lose Shepard. Special, too, is the ability to be able to help Ashara with the pain she has to deal with. One of the hardest things for Liara in the last few years have been the separations, of often not being there for the Specter in her moments of greatest need, and she's deeply grateful that this time is different.

Of course, even relatively unburdened, Shepard wouldn't be who she is if she wasn't concerned about others, and so Liara's not surprised that this evening their conversation has turned to what will become of her crew.

"Oddly enough, I'm not worried about Jack," Ashara says with a smile, "Which isn't something I ever thought I'd say when we first met."

"I did not know her at the time, but I will confess that what I saw in the Shadow Broker's files did make me somewhat uneasy about her being a member of your crew."

"Yeah, she was quite a handful back then. I think I once described her to Garrus as a cross between an angry teenager and a nuclear bomb. I never would've pictured her as a teacher, but she really found something with those kids. They give her a focus other than fighting, something to help her center herself now that the war's over… a little like what you do for me, though definitely not as pleasurable."

Liara smiles at that, purring happily as her lover affectionately strokes her crest while she continues.

"The same's probably true of Miranda with Oriana. She may not need saving anymore, but she'll still need her sister."

"Goddess, it is odd thinking of Miranda in that way. The first time I met her, I hated her a great deal. She was so cold and arrogant, and knowing that I had to give you to her and simply hope for the best was incredibly difficult."

Ashara pulls her arms reassuringly tight around her. "Hey, you made the right call. It all worked out in the end."

"I know, love. It is just a hard time to remember."

"For what it's worth, I didn't like her much back then either. I think she resented that the Illusive Man put me in charge because for the first few weeks, she acted like she was the commander of the _Normandy_ and I was just the hired help. Still, she's softened a lot since then, even if she rarely shows it."

Liara nods. "Besides, given that she did help bring you back to me on two separate occasions, I believe that I will do my best to overlook her difficult personality."

"Fair enough. So, who do you think isn't ready to give up a life of adventure and settle down just yet?"

"Surely not Grunt."

"That's an easy one," Ashara chuckles. "Who else?"

"Ashley, I think."

"Probably. She's a born soldier; hard to see her doing something else."

"What about Garrus?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Just before the last push on Earth, he was talking about retiring somewhere sunny, but as long as I've known him, I still have trouble figuring out when he's being serious sometimes."

"Do you think he and Tali will last? As a couple?" Liara had not pictured them being together before it happened, and her own knowledge of such things is fairly limited. She did not have a chance to observe her parents' relationship as a child, and while growing up she had had friends who dated, she was relatively solitary, and never got enmeshed in the complex web of crushes and dalliances that entangled many young maidens. Shepard is the only lover she has ever had, the only one she can imagine wanting.

"Don't know about that one either. Sometimes, when you go through the kind of shit we all did, when you have no idea if you're going to die tomorrow, it helps you see who really matters to you." She leans over and gives Liara a passionate kiss, showing the asari that, though she hardly needs the reminder, that is what happened with them.

"But other times, in those situations, you sort of cling to whoever's nearby just to have someone to keep away the uncertainty. I hope it's the former for their sake, but I guess we'll have to wait and find out."

"You know, Ashara, I am not certain what it means in this context but there is a video Tali was always trying to get me to see that featured a quarian and turian pairing…"

Ashara bursts out laughing. "Oh god. 'Fleet and Flotilla.' She made me watch it on the Citadel. It's just terrible, but she got so touchy when I complained that I actually finished the whole thing..."


	12. WWS: Gratitude

An hour earlier, when Shepard had suggested that she take a walk, Liara had been curious. The _Normandy_ was scheduled to return tomorrow and she suspected her bondmate wanted to prepare something special for their last night on vacation. Still, she was slightly surprised on her return to find Ashara washing pots while a pleasant aroma wafted from the over. Slipping an arm around her lover and kissing her on the neck, she teased, "I was not aware you knew how to cook. Your past culinary endeavors have been mostly limited to boiling the macaroni stockpile we found here and adding generous quantities of sugar to your coffee."

"Hey, I was a farm girl. I just haven't had a lot of chances to show off. Saving the galaxy kept me kind of busy."

"It smells good."

"It's a spinach pie. Or at least the local equivalent of spinach. Don't worry, I looked it up; it's safe to eat. Just my way of thanking you for making me take this trip."

"Well then, I look forward to trying it."

"It'll still be a while before it's done baking. I'll finish up with the dishes; I thought you might want a shower. It's kind of sticky outside."

* * *

Ashara sends Liara off with a quick kiss on the cheek, and once she hears the water start running, she waits a minute and then follows after her. Pulling off her sweats, she slides the bathroom door open quietly and draws back the shower curtain to reveal Liara standing there with warm water running down her pale blue skin and a knowing smile on her face.

"I had wondered if there was an additional element to this plot of yours."

"I told you, I wanted to thank you for this trip."

Liara's smile broadens mischievously. "Of course, it is not strictly necessary as I have enjoyed it as well, but if you would like to…"

Before Liara can finish her thought, Shepard nimbly climbs into the shower, catching the asari's lips with her own. Ashara can never get enough of her lover's skin, smoother than a human's due to the absence of any body hair, and with its own intriguing, scaled textures, and she begins running her hands and tongue over it, feeling it slippery and warm against her.

"On the other hand, I suppose that, ah, there is an argument to be made for… mm, that feels good."

Suitably encouraged, Shepard bends to close her mouth around a blue nipple while one hand runs down the asari's back, caressing her cute butt and making her gasp with pleasure. Ashara could keep this up a good, long while but there'll be time for that later tonight. Now, the pie will be ready soon, and she's going to make sure Liara's finishes before it does.

Dropping to her knees, she kisses her way up the information broker's leg, making her way to the darker blue skin at her center. Gripping Liara's thighs with strong hands, she flicks her tongue over her clit, at first lightly, and then with increasingly firm strokes. The asari purrs with pleasure above her, and she feels slim fingers running through her wet blonde hair, coaxing her to do more.

She's more than happy to comply, and as she increases her tempo, Liara cries out and her knees start to buckle. The asari reaches for the shower bar, but Ashara looks up and says, "Wait. I've got a better idea." With a thought, her biotics flare, cushioning her lover in purple light.

Shepard feels the archeologist's mind reaching out to her, desiring the meld, but despite the fact that she wants it too, she responds, "Not yet. This, now, is for you." Though Liara's orgasms are more powerful when they're joined, Ashara knows her lover enjoys this too and she wants to save the bond for later when they'll have more time.

Liara assents without words, leaning back into the energy field, just letting herself enjoy the sensations Shepard is giving her. When her thighs begin to clench around her, the Specter can tell her lover is getting closer and she slides two fingers past her entrance, finding as wet inside as her water-slicked skin is outside. Liara's hands tangle in Ashara's hair, urgency now in her moans . Shepard responds by speeding up her thrusts even as her tongue vibrates over her lover's bud, and when she manipulates her biotic field to apply pressure to Liara's breasts, the combined sensations overwhelm the asari. She cries out, a rich, sweet sound, and the flash of her own biotics adds to Ashara's, light reflecting through the small bathroom as she comes.

When Liara's orgasm subsides, Shepard releases her biotic field and stands back up, kissing her partner deeply. The asari reaches out a hand, cupping Ashara's left breast and brushing the already-stiff pink nipple there. The Specter moans softly; hearing the asari's cries of pleasure was an incredible turn-on, but when Liara reaches her other hand between the Specter's legs, she objects, albeit without much conviction. "Liara, we don't really have time. Besides, I just wanted you to enjoy that."

Liara smiles at her naughtily while her fingers trace over her lover's engorged folds. "I recall I told you something similar when we got back to the _Normandy_."

Shepard gasps in response to the movement of Liara's hand. "I don't think that… I might not have listened."

"Mm, I recall not. Besides, I do not think it will take too long. I can feel how much you want this and I love doing it for you."

Shepard grins in agreement and when Liara's practiced fingers slide inside her, she marvels at how wet she already is from going down on the scientist. As Liara's other hand massages her breasts, her hips begin pushing forward, wanting her lover as deep inside her as possible. Liara accommodates, thrusting with her fingers while her palm rubs against Ashara's clit. Leaning forward, Shepard kisses her over and over, pushing their bodies together, losing herself in the sensation of her partner. As turned on as she is, it's not long before she can feel heat spreading from her core and when Liara's fingers press up inside her, hitting just the right spot, she gasps sharply and shudders with her release against the asari.

As they come down, Liara turns the water off and the lovers take turns drying each other, the thick towels and gentle hands pleasant against Ashara's still-sensitive skin.

"That was quite enjoyable," Liara purrs.

"I'm glad. It was pretty hot for me too."

"That much was clear. I enjoy how turned on you get pleasing me; it makes me feel especially desirable."

"You really are, Liara," Shepard replies with a smile and a light kiss on the asari's shoulder blade as she runs the towel over her torso.

They manage to get dressed and get the pie out of the oven before it's too overdone, Liara donning a simple white gown while Shepard puts on the black dress Kasumi gave her. She makes a mental note to do some shopping when things get back to something approaching normal; about the only non-uniform clothes she owns are some pairs of N-7 sweats, the hideous overalls left over from her time with Cerberus, and this dress. Still, her bondmate doesn't seem to mind seeing her in it again, at least judging by the hungry looks she keeps giving her while they eat.

* * *

After the dishes are cleared away, Shepard takes Liara by the hand, and leads her to the living room, where the human has already prepared a collection of love songs on the stereo. "Dance with me," Ashara asks and Liara can't keep a slightly bemused smile off her face.

"I know, I know. But it's slow-dancing. Even the rhythmically-challenged can do it." The commander pulls her close, and they begin to move together in something vaguely resembling time with the music. Shepard is such an artist on the battlefield that Liara has sometimes wondered why she finds it so much harder to be graceful dancing, but right now she hardly cares. The warmth of Ashara in her arms, the motion of her lover's body against her, the caress of her breath on her cheek, that's all she wants.

"As I was telling you earlier, love," she whispers seductively, "You are not the only one who needed this vacation. And I can be just as appreciative as you." Her hands begin to move downwards from Ashara's neck, making their way to her bare shoulders and then sliding under her dress, massaging her back. Shepard kisses her deeply in response, her tongue slipping inside the asari's mouth, and Liara feels a rush of heat run through her.

There's no more dancing as the make their way to the bedroom, their hands roaming over each other's skin. They move slowly, not wanting to break their embrace, but when they get there, Shepard sweeps her bondmate off her feet and lays her down on the bed before sliding her dress straps off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Looking up at her partner clad in only a pair of lacy black panties, her beautiful body flushed with desire, her green eyes happy and full of life, Liara feels extraordinarily fortunate. To have Ashara back, to be able to be here with her like this, it's just what she's longed for.

As Shepard lowers herself into Liara's arms, the asari rises off the bed to meet her, her mouth moving to her partner's sensitive nipples. She sucks on them gently, feeling them harden against her tongue while her hands knead the taut muscles on the Specter's back. Ashara gasps, arching her chest, pressing more of her breasts into Liara mouth and the archeologist lets her hands drift lower, caressing her lover's firm ass through the thin material of her underwear.

Shepard's hands find their way to Liara's dress, the soldier's ability to maintain her manual dexterity while distracted serving her well as she unfastens the clasp behind her lover's neck. Liara stops her kissing of Shepard's breasts just long enough to shrug out of the garment before slipping a hand behind Shepard and inside her underwear. As her fingers curl around to her lover's opening, she finds her already slick, and when Ashara whispers huskily, "Fuck, you make me so wet, Liara," she feels her own arousal spike. She was already hot from the shower and hearing that strong voice thick with desire for her has always turned her on.

* * *

As Liara's fingers start to explore inside Ashara, the commander is slightly surprised by the strength of her own response. Earlier, she'd wanted to leave Liara craving more, but she's underestimated just how turned she'd be too.

"Wait," she gasps, "I love your… gratitude, but I want to do this together." Liara reluctantly pulls back and lets her take the lead for a while, and Ashara rewards her by running her hands over her firm breasts while her tongue traces the folds of her crest. Liara is the only asari she's ever been with, and their first time together, she'd been astonished at how sensitive it was.

"Goddess, you've gotten good at that."

"Well, I enjoy practicing."

The asari's breath in her ear starts to become ragged and as Ashara's thumbs massage her stiff blue nipples, Liara slides one leg between the commander's thighs, desperate for more contact. The silky blue material of her underwear feels delicious against Shepard's skin and as they start pressing against each other, she decides neither of them probably wants to wait too much longer.

Reaching down, she slides off Liara's panties even as the asari is doing the same with hers, and as their legs lace back together, she feels Liara pressing needfully against her thigh. The scientist kisses her hard, and when it breaks, she pleads, "Join with me, Ashara."

"Yes," is all she has to whisper back before Liara's eyes darken and her mind starts to flow into Shepard's. The human has no trouble letting her in, the melding effortless after so many times, and as her partner's desire, love, and joy flow through her, she remembers again why this woman was worth cheating death for. A further reminder is supplied by the slim fingers pushing inside of her, the bond allowing her to simultaneous feel Liara filling her throbbing center and her own body tightening around her lover's digits.

"Please, more," she hears across the meld.

"Of course." Her own fingers slip easily into Liara and when the asari's hips thrust against her hand, trying to draw her even deeper, her palm presses against her lover's clitoris, causing both of them to gasp with the shared pleasure. The lines between what each of them feel are blurred, and when Liara's thumb finds Shepard's clit and begins to massage it, Ashara can sense the asari careening towards to the edge just as she is.

"More, yes, deeper, there, right there, you, just you…" With each response to their unvoiced desires, they get closer and when Liara's thumb finds the perfect rhythm over her bud, Ashara's building orgasm erupts from within her, spreading across the bond to her lover as well, their biotics flaring as they share their pleasure.

* * *

Their bodies have begun to relax, but their minds are still somewhat linked when Ashara slides her fingers out of Liara, sensuously licking them clean, the words, "So sweet," echoing in the asari's mind.

"Goddess, love," she sends, "When you do that…"

"You know I can't get enough of you." Liara feels desire building in her again, and the human senses it as well.

"More?" Shepard asks and Liara's response is use her own wet hand to pull her lover closer to her for a kiss, tasting herself on Shepard's tongue as they tangle together. Her bondmate knows without words what she wants, and Liara spreads her legs so that Ashara can slip a thigh between hers. They resume moving, the meld deepening again as they do, their bodies already close to the edge from their previous climaxes, their clits almost too sensitive as they rub against each other's thighs. Liara runs her tongue over Shepard's ear, just whispering "Yes," again and again as Ashara's hands press against her back, pulling them closer, increasing the wonderful friction they're feeling.

Their bodies seem to melt together, joined both physically and mentally, their hips thrusting in tandem, their wetness lubricating their movements. This time the climax starts in both of them simultaneously, their cries filling the room as ecstasy overwhelms them. Their second orgasms last longer then the first, their bodies continuing to press against each other, drawing out every last drop of bliss. All Liara can think of in that moment, all she can feel from Shepard, is pleasure and their overwhelming love for each other.

* * *

They come down slowly, and even after their minds and bodies have disentangled, the after-glow lingers wonderfully for Ashara, a feeling of satiation permeating every molecule of her being. She lets her fingers trace lightly over Liara's skin while she asks her lover, "So, do you feel properly appreciated?"

Liara sighs happily and nods, "Very. You?"

"Mm. Any more appreciation and I might sleep through our pick-up tomorrow."

"The things that you say."

"I love you, Liara T'Soni."

"And I love you, Ashara Shepard." Liara slides back against her and Shepard welcomes her lover, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on her lips before wrapping her arms around the scientist's lovely body and nuzzling her face against the back of her neck. She feels completely content, and although she knows that tomorrow she'll have to get back to the rest of the galaxy, with Liara by her side, she's ready to build a new life.

* * *

**And on that smutty note, we come to the end of What Was Saved, the first of three planned sections of the story. In the next part, Where They Travelled, Shepard and Liara, along with the rest of the crew of the **_**Normandy**_**, have started to build new lives, but in time they may find that more than just memories of the past have followed them. There will be a brief break in my relatively hectic posting schedule while I recharge and work on a few other projects, but it should begin again in not too long. It will still be posted under ****Ashara Shepard: The Fourth Life****, so if you are already Following, there's no danger of missing it.**

** On that subject, I'd like to thank everyone for reading thus far, and especially those who have left feedback of one type or another; it really is the writer's drug of choice and with the first section complete, thoughts, praise, and constructive suggestions are especially welcome. Finally, here are responses to a couple of Guest reviewers questions/comments:**

**Alex: Liara and Wrex are the two characters who's actions in-between ME1 and 2 impressed me; Liara because she retrieved your body, and Wrex because he's half-way to being the boss of Tuchanka by the time you see him again.**

**Wooki: That is correct; Shepard picked the Quarians. She was not able to make peace, because she had not done Legion's loyalty mission, which she ran out of time for in-story. My Shepards don't always have perfect completion of all side missions; in Where They Journeyed, something else Ashara didn't do will come up.**


	13. Where They Travelled: Moving In

"Glad to see you're finally awake, skipper."

"Hey, give me a break, Ash. It was my wedding night. Besides, in another few hours, you'll be the captain."

"Speaking of your new wife, where is Liara?"

"Just packing up some stuff in her office. She should be down here in a few."

"It's still odd imagining you as a civilian. Diplomacy, huh?"

"Of a sort, I guess. God knows I got enough practice yelling at the Council."

A heavy set of footsteps announces the arrival of another old friend. "Sure, Shepard, but as I recall, you hated every minute of it. Where do you want this stuff?"

"Just put it wherever on the shuttle, Garrus. We'll sort it all out once we get to the house. And I only hated it because back then nobody listened to me. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy being able to do good without shooting people in the face."

"Well, the fact that you saved most of their lives repeatedly probably does encourage the politicians to pay attention to you at this point. Still, don't you worry it'll get a little dull?"

"Duller I could use. Besides, it's not as stuffy as all that. Mostly just governments calling to get my help sorting out their disputes; it's not that different from a lot of the hand-holding I've been doing since the war anyway. There'll probably be a little travel for the more serious cases, but I won't be shuffling papers all day."

"And you think that'll be enough to keep you occupied?"

"We'll see. For now, there's plenty of work to do setting up the new house."

"It's Liara's right? Never really pictured you as a kept woman, Lola."

"Very funny, James. Careful with that box and don't stack anything on top of it. You break those ships and I might have to postpone my retirement to kick your ass."

In truth, she and Liara are both individually wealthy. Ashara had been reluctant to capitalize on her fame, but with unauthorized biographies and dubious merchandise cropping up everywhere, Liara had persuaded her that she might as well get involved, if only to try and keep things tasteful. She'd agreed, with the stipulation that a significant share of both her royalties and the profits go to aid the victims of the war, but with the demand for everything Shepard remaining insatiable a year and a half after the destruction of the Reapers, she still won't have to worry about money for the foreseeable future.

As for Liara, she acquired significant financial resources when she became the Shadow Broker, supplemented by her inheritance from her mother, a part of which is their house on Thessia. Despite the fact that it had belonged to Benezia, Shepard's wife has no real memory of it. The Matriarch had given birth to her daughter around the time that her political influence had started to expand, and when Liara was three, they had moved to a larger compound to accommodate her mother's growing number of acolytes. However, the house remained in the family, and though it was slightly damaged during the war, it's mostly intact. Spacious but not cavernous and isolated enough to allow for some privacy while being relatively near the city of Kosia, it's an ideal location for the galaxy's best known couple.

"Hey, chill, chill. I'll be careful. Still can't believe you're not taking a honeymoon though."

"Another trip? Seriously? Liara and I have spent pretty much the entire time we've been together flying around the galaxy. A nice, domestic start to our marriage sounds pretty good."

* * *

"It'll need some fixing up, but I think it's nice."

To Liara's eyes, the house is something of a mess. Half of the furniture hasn't been delivered yet, the crew is in the process of leaving boxes everywhere, and several of the rooms on the second floor are still in ruins. None of that, however, seems to put a damper on Liara's wife's good mood.

The information broker knows how she feels. She hadn't initially thought of the wedding as necessary. For asari, the pledge of love and commitment is more important than any formal tradition, especially since their tendency to build families with other species would complicate an attachment to a particular ceremony. She and Ashara became bondmates the day on the Presidium when they promised to spend their lives together, and that night when they made love, the word "Always," echoing across the meld, Liara hadn't needed a wedding or a ring, just Shepard.

Still, it had been important to Ashara. She'd explained that it wasn't just for them, but for those they care about, a way of signifying that this is the person that means more to them than anyone else and when the human had put it that way, a wedding had seemed quite reasonable. They had held it on the _Normandy_; the crew is their real family, and having them there, with Tali officiating in her capacity as an Admiral of the Migrant Fleet, had meant more to the asari than she had anticipated.

The reminder that they really are spending their lives together had also ignited a particular passion in Ashara and, still enjoying the afterglow from the night before, Liara's happy to put a positive face on things too. Kissing her wife affectionately, she just responds, "It certainly could be worse, love."

* * *

"Hey, Doc. Where do you want this terminal thing?"

"I think the room on the left will work well as my office, James."

Much of Liara's information network was destroyed during the war, and the question of how much of it she should try to rebuild had been something of a contentious issue between her and Ashara.

"Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't keep working as an information dealer. It's a good way to help the galaxy, and working from home gives me lots of chances to enjoy distracting you. But you have to give up being the all-knowing Shadow Broker You took over that job for a reason and it's over now."

"Shepard, you do not understand. What it took for me to acquire the position; I cannot simply abandon it."

"You're not being reasonable. This isn't something you can do for the rest of your life."

"But there is still so much I can accomplish. To quit now…"

There had been a slightly frantic tone to her voice, and Ashara had softened when she heard it, putting her arms around the asari's waist as she asked, "Liara, do you remember the last Shadow Broker?"

"You know that I do. Why?"

"Aside from being amoral, ugly, and unusually punchable for somebody that size, do you know what else he was?"

In spite of herself, Liara had smiled. It's always difficult for her to stay mad in Shepard's embrace. "I am not certain what you are referring to, love."

"He was grossly overworked. We showed up in his office after killing about 60 of his mercenaries, and his first thought was to be annoyed because he didn't have time for the interruption. I don't want that to be you."

Liara had sighed then, conceding defeat. "You are right. It's just not easy to scale back."

"I know. Not pushing quite so hard has been tough for me too. I just try to remind myself that we don't have the fate of the galaxy resting on our shoulders anymore and that a very smart asari once told me that we've earned a life for ourselves."

Her smile had turned into a laugh. "Very well then. If Commander Shepard can retire from the Alliance, than I suppose I can cut down my network to a more manageable size."

* * *

With everything unloaded, all that remains are the goodbyes. Shepard's departure is serving as a trigger for some of the others to leave as well; James is heading off to N-7 training, and Garrus and Tali are moving to Palaven to help with the rebuilding effort there. Javik has already departed for parts unknown about six months ago, and Samantha took a lab job three months after that, so turnover is very much on Shepard's mind as she gives her parting thoughts to Ashley.

"You sure you're going to be okay, Ash? I mean, with so much of the team leaving."

"It'll be fine. You'd be a hell of an act to follow as a CO anyway, skipper. It might be good to bring in some new people who I can impress more easily."

"I told you, you can stop calling me that now."

"The _Normandy_ will always be your ship. I'm just taking care of her for a while."

"All right. Speaking as your captain then, keep an eye on Jeff."

"Roger that, skip. But he is doing a bit better. Time plus getting laid that much helps, I guess."

"Joker? Really? I mean, he's a good guy, but he can be a little bit…"

"Of a pain in the ass?"

"I was going to say difficult."

"True, but… you know how you're pretty much the most famous person in the galaxy?"

"Sure."

"Well, when you're around, everyone may be paying attention to the 'Savior of the Galaxy,' but when you're not, we all kind of benefit from your reflected glory. Not really my thing, but 'I'm on the _Normandy_' seems to work pretty well as a pick-up line."

"Good for Joker I guess, but I'm not sure groupies are the answer to all his problems."

"Probably not, but still… 'Goes up at evening to his home, and throws him, sleepy, tired, and sore, upon his bed, and rests him there, his pain and trouble o'er,' probably works better if the bed isn't always empty."

"True enough I suppose, and on that subject, make sure you get some R&R too. I know how hard it is to find the time when you're in command."

Ashley laughs. "You really do enjoy worrying about your crew. You sure you're ready to give it all up?"

Ashara chuckles in return, but as she catches a glimpse of Liara in the next room turning her head to smile at Shepard while she investigates the contents of one of their boxes, there's only one answer the now-former Specter can think to give. "I am, Ash. I really am."

* * *

**And we're back. The poem Ashley quotes is by Walt Whitman and is titled "Each Has His Grief." I don't know if anyone noticed this, but the story image is of Thessia, which was a clue as to where Shepard and Liara were going to end up moving.**


	14. WTT: Restraint

"So it looks like we have a deal. The krogan can keep Tytrus, but the asari get back Eliphus, and the mining rights in the asteroid belt will be split 50/50."

"You know, we're the ones that the took the whole damn system back from those pirates."

"Yes, you did, but you also want the asari's help on those terraforming projects, and I got them to agree to give it to you on the condition that you return their planet for recolonization."

The krogan leader growls. "You really know when you've got my quad in a vice, Shepard."

"Wrex..."

"All right, all right," he concedes, waving a clawed hand dismissively. "The asari can have their damn colony. Not enough decent hunting there for my taste anyway."

"You're a good man. I'll let Tevos know we have a deal and you two can work out the details of the handover."

"Not sure why she called you in on this anyway. I was being perfectly reasonable."

Shepard laughs. "Well, who am I to say why those Councilors do anything?"

"Heh. Good point. Guess I can't complain; it's always good to work with you, even if it's not as much fun as clearing out a Geth outpost."

"Good to talk to you too, Wrex. Tell Bakara and the kids I said 'hi.'"

"And you tell Liara her mate haggles like a broke volus."

"I'll think about it. Till text time."

As the call ends, the krogan chuckles. When Wrex was young, he'd thought that courage meant not being afraid of death. It was a stupid, easy thing to believe and most of his people did the same. It gave them a way to feel superior to other species since, as Mordin had once put it, "Krogan have long lives. Naturally high birthrates. Species can afford to place low value on individual survival. Explains high rate of employment in dangerous professions. Also, fondness for ryncol."

That attitude was why the genophage nearly destroyed them. A bunch of half clever salarian statisticians might have claimed that the population should be stable, not in decline, but the violent nature that had led to the krogan being uplifted in the first place didn't easily change, even when they could no longer afford the deaths.

The idiocy of that approach had been clear to Wrex when he killed his father, but at the time, he'd had no alternative to offer his people. Instead, he'd spent 300 years of bounty hunting killing time and people because he couldn't see a way to do anything that would have made a real difference.

And then he'd met Shepard. It wasn't her bravery in the face of impossible odds that impressed him; he knew plenty of idiots unafraid to die. It wasn't even her skill in battle, though she was the most devastating warrior he'd encountered in all his centuries of fighting. No, what made a truly lasting impression on Wrex was Shepard's willingness to do what she had to, no matter how much she didn't want to do it.

A krogan warlord with a casual disregard for the lives of his men might not have bled with some of her choices the way Shepard had, but that was exactly why it took real toughness and courage for her to make them. When she left Alenko to his death on Virmire, when she sacrificed Alliance ships to save the Council, he could tell how much it hurt her, but she'd done it anyway, and she'd won. A human female only slightly older than some of his empty liquor bottles had killed the most feared Specter in the galaxy and stopped the return of the Reapers. If she could do that, than he could go back to Tuchanka and try to make a difference, no matter how much negotiating with people he'd rather hit sometimes made him crazy.

These days, there are times he wants to just reach across the table and smash in the heads of the people on the other side until they agree to his terms, and others that he isn't feeling quite as charitable, but it's not what the krogan need. Doing it wouldn't make him tough, it would make him weak, and if there's one thing Urdnot Wrex is not, it's weak. So he sucks it up, he does what needs to be done, and sometimes he marvels at how much learning Shepard's lesson has gotten him: a united people, a cure for the genophage, a seat on the Council, and new colonies are well worth him keeping his temper in check. And he does. Most of the time anyway. Hey, even he isn't perfect.

* * *

It had only been Shepard's lousy influence that'd even made Zaeed try. There's just something about the damn woman that makes you want her to like you and in her case, it's not even the usual thing. Sure, she'd probably be a hell of a fuck, but he was never stupid enough to think he had a shot at that. She's been hung up on that cute blue piece of ass for as long as he's known her, and even if she wasn't, he's not the one who gets the girl.

Whatever it is about her though, it definitely has an effect on him. If she'd been damn near anyone else then after that disaster at the refinery, when she'd let Vido Santiago escape and chewed him out afterwards, Zaeed would have done his level best to blow her fucking head off at the first chance he'd gotten. Instead, he'd tried to impress her. Helped her with that idiotic Volus ambassador, fought the goddamn war for free and when it was over, he'd taken his money from Cerberus and retired. Found one of the few beaches the Reapers hadn't ruined, and spent his time getting drunk off his ass, screwing a bunch of twits who were impressed that he knew Commander Shepard, and doing his best to forget about the past.

Didn't work. He never would have thought he could get tired of good booze, easy tail, and nice weather, but without some real excitement to liven it up, that shit got pretty dull pretty fucking quickly. Four months in, he begun beating up smart-asses in bars just to pass the time. After seven months, he was thinking about shooting the lifeguards. At the end of the first year, he was starting to consider shooting himself instead.

By the time he got the call two weeks ago, he hadn't even had to think about it. An old turian buddy named Pularch, an ex-marine he used to do body-guarding work with, was on Omega and he'd found a fresh lead on Vito. Zaeed had been on the first flight off of Earth so fast he'd still had his sunburn when he'd arrived at the meet. A few beers and a few battered informants later, they'd been on another ship, this one taking them to a shit-hole supply depot on an asteroid in the Armstrong Nebula where some of the Blue Suns who worked directly for Vito were supposed to be passing through.

They'd gotten there with enough time to set an ambush, and now, as the incendiary grenades rain down from the balcony onto the mercenaries below him and the screams of his burning enemies echo through the enclosed space, Zaeed realizes just how much he's missed this. It may be sick, but it's him, and if Shepard doesn't like it, fuck her. He sees her and her girl on the news all the time, living on Thessia now in some big, fancy house. It's hard for him to think that she can stand retirement any more than he could; she was too good a soldier for that, but either way, that's her problem; he's got work to do.

* * *

**Just a short section with some of the other ex-crew members. We'll be back with the main couple next chapter. As a side note, I find the more I have Zaeed swear, the more I can hear Robin Sach's voice saying the lines. RIP.**


	15. WTT: Echoes

"So, how've you been, kid?"

Liara T'Soni is not especially pleased by her father's casual tone. "How have I been? I have not seen you for more than two years and that's all that you have to say?"

"I kept in touch."

"You sent one message after I left four of them for you, trying to ascertain if you were alive." Liara had heard reports from her agents that Aethyta had been seen on Thessia shortly after she and Ashara had returned from their vacation, but without verification, the eight day delay before her father responded had been trying.

"What, the great and powerful Shadow Broker didn't already know?"

"In case you had not noticed, there was a great deal of turmoil at the time. I wanted to be certain."

"Well, it's good to know that you cared."

Aethyta's sarcastic reply does little to sooth Liara's irritation. "I wish that I could say the same. Frankly, given your habitual lack of interest in speaking to me, I am not certain why you are here now."

She has more to say, but she's stopped in her tracks when she sees a change come over her father. There's a hint of pain on her dark blue face and when she replies, her usual acerbic tone is absent from her voice. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start a fight. If you don't want to talk to me, I understand. I just needed to ask your bondmate something."

"Shepard is on a call… but you can wait down here for her if you'd like." She's still angry, but she has so little family left and she doesn't really want to drive her father away again.

Liara shows her in, and as they walk past a glass display case, Aethyta comments, "So, that's a lot of medals."

"Yes." Liara doesn't say more, still trying to settle her emotions, but it's true. Since the war, Ashara has been awarded virtually every decoration the governments of the galaxy can bestow on her. She'd be just as happy putting the whole lot in a box, but Liara insists on displaying them. She's proud of her bondmate, and besides, it's good for Shepard to have a visible reminder of what she accomplished. The guilt over everyone she didn't save still surfaces from time to time, and Liara wants her to remember what a hero she is.

When they reach the downstairs living room, Liara sits in a dark leather chair while the older asari takes a seat on the sofa. "I'm glad you two decided to live here. Lot of memories," Aethyta remarks as she looks around the room. "Of course, I think the couch used to be over there. In fact," she adds with a troublesome glint in her eyes, "That's where your mother and I…"

"I believe that I do not need to hear the rest of that story." She's failing to keep a note of anger out of her voice.

"Forgot you can be a little prudish. So how's work?"

"It is fine. Somewhat simpler now the galaxy has started to return to an approximation of normal."

"And Shepard's treating you right?"

"Of course she is. The fact that you are even asking proves how little you know about us." Aethyta opens her mouth to reply to the attack, but before she can, they're both distracted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

* * *

"Liara. So, I'm done for now, but..." As Shepard enters the room, she's surprised to see Aethyta in their living room, but not unpleasantly so. She'd liked the colorful asari bartender when they'd met on Illium, and it's hurt her wife that her father didn't get in touch sooner after their brief reunion on the Citadel. "Aethyta. I didn't know you were going to be visiting."

"Indeed. It was quite unexpected." There's an harshness in Liara's voice as Shepard plants a quick kiss on her forehead. "How was your call?"

"Fine. It'll take a little longer but I think I can get this ridiculous trade dispute settled. Anyway, what brings you here Aethyta?"

Before the Matriarch can answer, Liara cuts in, her tone definitely frosty. "She wanted to see you, so allow me to leave the two of you alone."

"Liara…"

"I have business to take care of, father."

As Liara leaves the room, Shepard sits down next to Aethyta on the couch. "Look, she's kind of pissed about you not calling. I'll try to talk to her later if you want."

"Thanks." There's a wounded quality to Aethyta's reply that Shepard hadn't expected. "I was out of her life for so long, and now I don't really know where to start."

"I know that. For now, I think, just try being around more. Liara needs to know you're not going to run out on her again before she can trust you. She's lost too many people already." Including nearly me, way too many times, Ashara adds to herself. Between Benezia, the war, and Shepard's numerous brushes with death, Liara doesn't need any more loss in her life.

Aethyta nods, seeming uncertain and preferring to change the subject. "Anyway, about why I came here. Remember how I used to tell the asari that they needed to stop treating war like a striptease and develop some stomach for a real fight?"

"Yeah. They didn't listen to you."

"Well, after the Reapers, enough of them saw the light that the republics are starting to put together some heavy ground forces. A small group for now, but it's a something. Of course, not many asari have a lot of experience with this shit. A bunch of the Matriarchs were talking about hiring turians or krogan, but then it occurred to me that the galaxy's most celebrated ground assault specialist is married to my daughter."

Shepard's not sure quite how to respond to that. Reenlistment isn't exactly on her agenda. "Aethyta, I retired from the Alliance. I'm not really looking to join the asari military."

"I'm not talking about going back on the front lines. Liara's barely old enough to be bonded; no need to make her a widow. You'd be an instructor. They'd be willing to set up the training facility near your house, pay you whatever you wanted, and let you pick your own hours."

"Pretty generous."

"Not to let your head get swelled any bigger than it already is, but Liara's not the only one who considers you a catch. A little bit of that Shepard whatever the fuck would go a long way to selling my people on this project."

"I'm still not sure about this."

"Besides, it'll give you something to do other than sit around the house all day and diddle my daughter."

"Christ, Aethyta!" Shepard rubs her head with one hand in semi-mock distress, but the inappropriate comment aside, the Matriarch does have a point. With the house repairs done, she has still has a lot of free time on her hands even with her diplomatic work.

Aethyta laughs, a rich, throaty sound. "You two are a good match; both a little bit sensitive."

"Yeah, that's what people usually say about me. Anyway, I'll talk your offer over with Liara, but no promises."

"Thanks, Shepard. For that, and… for looking out for her as well."

* * *

Shepard knocks on the door of her wife's office. "Liara, honey, are you all right?"

"I am fine. Did you two finish your business?"

"Yeah, your dad took off. Can I come in?"

"Of course. It is not you that I'm annoyed with."

Not yet anyway, Ashara thinks as she enters to find her wife sitting at her desk, half-heartedly looking at a pile of leaked salarian intelligence reports. Shepard leans over to plant a light kiss on her cheek before asking, "What happened? You were pretty hard on Aethyta back there."

Liara stands up, hesitating before she answers. "She did not… It was not something that she did today. It is more… we barely heard from her for two years and then she appears at our door, acting as if nothing is out of the ordinary."

"I know…"

"I really cannot tell if she wants to be my father or not."

Ashara puts her arms around Liara, trying to soothe her aggravation. "You're right. It's confusing. But I think it's confusing for her too. She was out of your life for so long, and now she wants in but she doesn't know how to go about it. In case you hadn't noticed, your dad's not exactly an expert at warm and fuzzy."

Liara laughs. Shepard can almost always make her wife laugh. "Very well. If she bothers to show up again in the next decade or so, I will try to give her another chance. Now, what was it that she wanted with you?"

"Well, apparently she's finally convinced the asari government to put together some regular infantry, and they want my help with it."

The small smile she'd coaxed out of Liara disappears from the asari's face. "I presume that you told her no."

"I said that we'd talk about it."

"What exactly is there to discuss, Shepard?"

"Liara…"

"No! We made a promise that we weren't going to do this any more! You retired!" Liara's anger is formidable, as the Shadow Broker learned to his sorrow, and Ashara hates the rare times when she's on the wrong side of it.

"I know that," she replies defensively. "I'd never break my word to you."

And then, suddenly, the anger's gone, and Liara is throwing her arms around her, her voice cracking. "Ashara… please, I cannot… I cannot lose you again."

Guilt twists in Shepard's gut. She was just telling Aethyta about Liara's fear of loss; she should have been clearer from the start, but their conversation about Aethyta had distracted her from her plan for how to explain the job offer. "You won't. I'm not going anywhere. It'd just be training." She kisses the asari 's face gently, her hand stroking her crest. "They'd build the facility near here. I wouldn't be in any danger."

Liara's voice is calmer now. "I am sorry I attacked you like that. I just…"

"No, it's my fault. I should've said that to begin with." She pauses for a moment. A part of her wants to drop the whole thing for the time being, but she needs to finish what she started, to not leave it hanging between them.

"Given that, though, I do want to take the job." She takes a moment to gauge her wife's reaction, and when she sees that Liara's all right, she continues. "Look, I'm done with nearly getting killed and with scaring the hell out of the woman I love." She pauses for a quick kiss before she continues. "But being a solider is an element of who I am. I'm good at it. I like being good at it, and this feels like a way to do that without the parts neither of us want in our lives anymore."

"I can understand that. I always knew who it was that I fell in love with. But, Shepard, are you sure this would be healthy for you? You still have bad nights and I do not want you to do anything that would make it worse."

Liara's right. They're not as frequent as it used to be, but there are definitely times when the dead won't let her rest. "And you are very good to me those nights. But it's not the memories of the fighting that keep me up. You know that."

"I do. But I still want to be sure that this will not be a problem for you."

"Look, I don't think it will be, but if it is, I'll stop."

"I know you. It is not in your nature to quit."

She sighs. Admitting weakness has never been something she's good at, especially with anyone besides her wife. "All right. How about… how about I agree in advance that if you think it's making things worse, I'll walk away, no arguments?"

At last, the asari's smile returns. "Very well, Ashara. As you once told me, we do have to keep each other honest."


	16. WTT: First Day

Watching Ashara buckle on the final pieces of her familiar blue and grey armor, Liara's thoughts wander briefly back to their first meeting on Therum, five years and a lifetime ago. Even in her frightened state, trapped and pursued by the Geth, the sight of Shepard standing there in full combat gear, strong and confidant, had been enough to make her heart flutter. It still is, the information broker thinks as Shepard ties her long, blonde hair back into a ponytail.

Indeed, between their reunion on Illium, their kiss after defeating the Shadow Broker, and the tender meld they shared before the final push on Earth, a number of their most indelible moments together have come while Shepard was in armor and a part of Liara wants to see if she can tempt her back out of that armor before she leaves. It would hardly be right for her to make her wife late for her first day though, so she settles for a little teasing instead.

"As gallant as you look right now, love, perhaps I should be concerned about some of the impressionable maidens you'll be teaching throwing themselves at you."

Ashara laughs and brushes her gloved fingers over Liara's cheek. "Don't worry. You know you're the only maiden I want."

"I do. But that does not mean we cannot reemphasize the point when you get home tonight." With that, Liara wraps her arms around her wife, kissing her deeply, and as their tongues dance together, she touches Ashara's mind for an instant, sending the human an image of herself with her head buried between Shepard's naked thighs.

"Well," Ashara replies as the vision fades, her face slightly flushed, "I guess I'll have to make sure not to be out too late."

After a quick follow-up kiss, Shepard turns to leave, and as she does, the asari smiles after her. She's been pleased at how upbeat her wife's mood has been in the weeks preceding the start of this new job, but Liara still wanted to put a good thought in her head before she left today, just in case.

* * *

The drive to the training facility takes Ashara through downtown Kosia. Aethyta had long argued that the asari needed to be shaken out of their complacency, and though no sane person could have wanted it to happen the way that it did, the war has certainly had that effect. Everywhere homes, businesses, and infrastructure are under construction, new designs and alien influences competing with traditional styles. There've been times when she's come into the city, alone or with Liara, and just sat, watching it rise from the ashes, a reminder that as much as was destroyed, the sacrifices that so many made weren't in vain.

When her skycar reaches the base, she's quickly ushered inside past the large crowd waiting outside, those assembled hoping for a glimpse of her or perhaps one of the other dignitaries here to mark the occasion. As they make their way through the building, it's clear it's been built to serve as a showpiece for the new Thessia. Gleaming surfaces and the newest equipment are everywhere, and the great hall they arrive at, with it's soaring ceilings and impressive collection of art from numerous species lining the walls, serves both to signal the asari government's commitment to the project and to reflect the spirit of cooperation it is supposed to embody.

Also signaling that importance is the presence of Councilor Tevos on the speaker's platform, the diplomat wearing a dark blue and red dress that, while not a uniform, is definitely designed to project a martial air. "It is good to see you again in person, Commander. We're honored by your willingness to help us rebuild our military."

Her own feelings on seeing Tevos are more complicated. The Council was a constant source of frustration during her time as a Specter and the day she'd arrived on the Citadel after the Reapers hit Earth and they had still refused to help, it had taken every ounce of discipline she'd possessed to refrain from putting a biotic fist through every one of their faces.

Since the war, Ashara's tried to let go of that anger. The Council did finally throw their support behind the Crucible, and in her role as a negotiator, she has to deal with them on a somewhat frequent basis. Tevos at least hasn't tried to justify her past mistakes, which is more than she can say for Valern; every time she has to listen that weasel pretend there was nothing he could have done differently, a part of her wishes that Thane had been a little bit slower during the Cerberus coup.

"I'm just glad we're not in mortal danger this time, Councilor. It makes a nice change from most of our meetings."

That manages to elicit a small smile from the asari. "Indeed. Of course, it is thanks to you that I survived on some of those occasions."

Ashara simply nods, silently acknowledging the olive branch. There's no need to dwell further on the past; today is about a new beginning. The plan is for Tevos to make a brief statement, and then for Shepard to take some questions before going to meet her class. In deference to her distaste for the press, the Q&A will be kept short, but the asari government does want to showcase her involvement in this new initiative and, as she learned all too well during the war, a good idea without support doesn't count for much.

Once they're ready, the dignitaries and military officials are shown into the hall, followed by a sea of reporters. Most of those present are asari, though there's a smattering of other races there as well, including several humans.

"For many centuries," Tevos begins when the audience has taken their seats, "The common belief among the asari was that our species was strong enough to stand on our own. We worked with the other Council races, true, but we believed that it was they who required our guidance, that we alone possessed a superior wisdom sufficient to handle any situation that might arise."

"The Reaper invasion taught us otherwise. The same approach to combat that had served our people well on many previous occasions proved wholly inadequate against the horror that we faced, and we were forced to come to the difficult realization that no one species has a monopoly on knowledge. The time has come for the asari to be more open to the insights of the rest of the galaxy, whether in science, in politics, or in war."

"It is that last, an unfortunate but still vital area of study that we turn our attention to today. Though the shadow of the Reapers has thankfully passed, there will always be dangers in the galaxy, and who better to help us prepare to face them than the human without who's heroism none of us would be here? That is why it is with great pride that I introduce as the chief instructor of the Talon Five Infantry Academy a woman who in truth needs no introduction, Ashara Shepard."

Shepard had insisted on the name for the school as a tribute to the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives so that she could reach the Temple of Athame that fateful day. Her failure and the subsequent fall of Thessia were among the worst moments of her life, and even now, looking at the armored asari providing security, it's hard not to see the faces of those who'd died while she'd watched, unable to save them.

As a round of applause fills the air, Ashara pushes aside the memories and forces herself to smile. "It's good to be here today. As all of you know, I've been priviledged to work quite closely with a number of asari over the last few years."

There's more than a smattering of laughs and she continues, "Their help has been invaluable to me, and I just want to say that I'm glad to able to return the favor, offering what assistance I can to a people who mean a great deal to me. I'll take a few of your questions now."

"Commander Shepard, Risalla Jinai, _Thessia Today_. Is this project something you're seriously committed to, or is your presence here merely symbolic, a way of mustering public support for what has been a controversial change in military doctrine?"

"This project is something I believe in or I wouldn't have agreed to take the job. I've always been more interested in results than symbolism, and my work here is no exception."

"Commander Shepard, Jack Springer, GCC News. Between your marrying an asari and working for their government, what do you say to those critics back on Earth who feel that you've turned your back on them?"

Sometimes, Ashara can't believe that she made it through the war without punching any of these people. "Seriously? I'm not sure which critics you're referring to, and I suspect that very few people would ask that question unless they were looking to generate controversy for the sake of ratings. What I've done for Earth speaks for itself and my marriage is not a political statement."

"Well said, Shepard; Thalia Gevros, _Galactic Beat_. If I may ask, is it true that you and Doctor T'Soni are expecting a baby, and if so, when is she due?"

Liara has pulled some strings with the local government to keep the paparazzi from living camped outside their house, and right now she can truly appreciate that service. Still, if she survived the Reaper War, she can survive the press for a little while, and so she deeps a deep breath and slogs through, the image Liara left in her head providing some solace as she deals with the barrage of inane questions.

* * *

After about ten more minutes of aggravation, the press conference mercifully ends and she's off to meet her students. She's going to be teaching two groups. The larger one consists of several thousand recruits, the backbone of the new infantry being assembled, and it will drill on the large open fields behind the facility. That class doesn't begin for a few more days, and because of it's size, she'll be overseeing an number of other instructors, mostly turian and human officers she and Garrus helped the asari to pick out and sign up.

The second group is who she's meeting now. It's made up of a few dozen asari, all veterans of the Reaper War who are here for advanced training, officers who'll either become teachers when their studies are completed, or bring what they've learned to back to their units. There are few enough of them that she's been able to look over each of their dossiers individually and though she doubts she'll ever work with a team quite as skilled as the crew of the _Normandy_, it's still quite the impressive group.

As she strides through the double doors of the training room, a reverent hush settles over the assembled students. It's a reaction she's gotten somewhat used to over the last two and a half years, but it's also not something that's going to work here. She needs these soldiers to be willing to give her their best shots in training, and that won't happen if they see her an unapproachable legend. It's for that reason more than technical accuracy that when a dark blue-skinned asari, Cellia, if she remembers the file photos correctly, leads the class in jumping to attention and saluting her as "Commander Shepard," she smiles disarmingly at the group, and corrects her. "Just Shepard now."

* * *

**For this particular Shepard, I wanted a somewhat different color scheme for her armor as a change of pace, hence the blue and grey.**


	17. WTT: Free Time

Ashara hadn't expected to be free this early. After a morning meeting with her assistants, the bulk of her day was supposed to have been spent with the more advanced students, but they're late coming back from a training exercise off-world and so it's barely past noon when she lands her car in the garage.

Heading upstairs, she's surprised that Liara doesn't greet her. It's possible that her wife went out, but at this time of the day, the information broker is usually hard at work and her office is close enough to the garage door to notice when someone comes in. Before Shepard can speculate further though, she hears a soft moan coming from the living room and a familiar voice calling out her name not in greeting but in pleasure.

A grin spreading across her face, she completes her climb as quietly as she can manage. She's no Kasumi, but she's stealthy enough when she wants to be and, making it into the living room undetected, she finds Liara laying on the big white leather sofa there. Her bondmate's face is flushed, one hand is down her unbuttoned pants, and the other is running over her breasts, clad in a purple tank-top.

An involuntary purr escapes Shepard's lips at the sight in front of her, and a startled Liara looks up at the sound, slightly chagrined at being caught. At the same time though, there's still a gleam of arousal in the asari's bright blue eyes and Ashara finds her mind going to interesting places.

"No need to stop," she informs her wife and, sitting down on the couch, she guides Liara's hand back between her legs. The asari blushes, but when Shepard reassures her, "Trust me," she lets her fingers resume their interrupted work. Shepard rests her hand on top of her lover's and as the human feels Liara touch herself, her digits tracing small circles over the head of her clit, heat starts to spread through her body. Leaning over, she asks in a sultry whisper, "I heard you say my name. What were you thinking about?"

Liara's voice is thick with desire, breathing the words out through her pleasure. "Before Ilos. Our first time."

"Mm," Shepard sighs, her free hand sliding under Liara's top, massaging her firm breasts. "Remembering that got night me through a lot of lonely times without you."

She feels Liara's chest rising and falling more rapidly under her touch, and she continues. "Alone on the _Normandy_, I'd get into that big bed and I'd remember how good it was." She rolls a blue nipple between her fingers. "The way your naked body looked when I saw it for the first time. How you gasped when I tasted you…"

"Goddess, Ashara!" Her wife's eyes darken as a shiver of pleasure runs through her and she touches her hand to Shepard's cheek, her voice full of need. "Show me."

Shepard opens her thoughts, but as Liara's mind joins with hers, what happens next isn't the normal melding that accompanies their lovemaking. She can feel Liara's fingers resting against her clit, but the sensation is distant, the asari's focus instead on Shepard's memories, sifting through them until she finds the one she's looking for. An image of the two of them standing in Shepard's cabin on the SR-1 comes to the forefront of Ashara's mind and the asari delves into it, moment after moment of one of the best nights of their lives becoming incredibly vivid in their shared thoughts…

…"Just tell me what to do."

As Shepard said those words, Liara threw her arms around her and kissed her for the first time. She was inexperienced, uncertain what to do with her tongue as their lips parted, but her enthusiasm was evident and the heat as their mouth's met overwhelmed any doubts Ashara had about whether the young asari wanted this, wanted her….

…Shepard's hands found the zipper beneath Liara's crest and as the scientist covered her neck in kisses, the commander slowly pulled it down, the fabric falling away to expose the pale blue skin beneath. Shepard's hands slid underneath, caressing the exotic texture of Liara's body before peeling the jumpsuit off of her shoulders, and as the garment pooled at the asari's feet, Liara was left standing before her in only a pair of plain white underwear. Her body was slightly alien, hairless with patterns of scales, but also familiar somehow, it's curves incredibly alluring to the Specter. As her eyes drank in the sight before her in, Liara started to cover herself with her arms, suddenly self-conscious.

"The way that you are starring at me. Is everything all right?"

"It's fine. You're just so lovely, Liara."

"I have seldom thought of myself that way. Do you truly…"

"God, yes, I do. You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

The asari let her arms fall to her sides again, stepping into Shepard's embrace, the warmth of her skin igniting the commander's nerves even through the material of her uniform. Her hands went to the buttons of Shepard's shirt and…

…Across their bond, Ashara senses her wife begin moving her fingers over her clit again, generating a sympathetic throbbing in her own body. "Yes," Liara sends, "I want to feel you touch yourself," and Shepard moves her hand from Liara's breasts, unbuttoning her own pants, and sliding down to her wet center…

…She was so wet, aching desperately for Liara's mouth on her, but as her new lover lay between her legs, she let her take her time getting to know her body.

"I did not know humans had hair down there," Liara sent across the joining. "It is fascinating, but it makes it somewhat difficult to determine what I am doing."

She stroked Liara's crest with her hand. "Don't worry. Try to mimic what I just did. We seem relatively similar, and I think you can sense when you find... ah."

Before she could finish her thought, Liara's eager tongue moved up Ashara's inner thigh, running over her folds.

"Yes, that… a little higher, ah… right there..." Her head tilted back, crying out as Liara found her center, the warmth of her mouth satisfying Shepard's urgent craving…

…Shepard's fingers press inside of her, her palm rubbing against her clit, and through her other hand, she can feel Liara's digits moving more rapidly over herself as their remembering races forward…

…Liara lay on top of her, her fingers curling inside Shepard even as the Specter's hand rubbed her clitoris, the pleasure cresting in both of them. "Goddess, Ashara, I have never…"

"Neither have I. Not like this."

The love and affection they share without words, the immediate feedback to every movement and touch, Liara's pleasure mixing with her own, blurring the lines between them; it really is like nothing she's ever felt before. Blue sparks illuminate the darkness of the room, and as their bodies press against each other, she feels Liara peaking, the rush of ecstasy across the bond pulling Shepard along with her…

…Ashara comes hard around her fingers, just as she feels Liara's release take her as well, her wife's fingers tangling in her hair, the memory of bliss combining with the sensations of now in an incredible orgasm. Looking at her wife's arching form, the memory of that night wavers and then returns, the remembered thrill of new love merging with the practiced passion they feel for each other now.

As the past recedes, Shepard beams down at Liara, her voice still ragged as she breathes, "Well, that was… different."

"I thought that you might enjoy it." Ashara pulls her hand out of her pants, still sticky, and Liara takes it, sucking gently on her fingers.

Shepard gasps and the asari smiles at her. "You know how much I love your taste."

"So do I." She brings Liara's hand to her mouth and reciprocates before lying down on the couch next to her bondmate, the lovers just holding each other for a few minutes before Ashara breaks the silence.

"So, why were you so unoccupied in the middle of the afternoon anyway?"

Liara kisses her affectionately before she responds. "The pace of my work can be uneven at times. It was simply a quiet day. What about you?"

"My afternoon group got held up off-world. Some mechanical thing at the spaceport."

"Mm, well, that was a fortunate coincidence."

"Definitely," she laughs. "So, since clearly neither of us have anything better to do, how about going out for a late lunch?"

"That sounds lovely. And perhaps some desert later…"

Ashara's green eyes light up with amusement. After all, five years ago, before their first time, Liara had trouble picking up on double entendres, let along making them.

* * *

**A brief naughty interlude before more of the big plot starts to be revealed next chapter. The time shifting here was somewhat experimental, so I'm curious as to how people thought it worked.**


	18. WTT: Taken By Surprise

The shockwave rips through the air, hurling rocks and branches towards her with the force of a hurricane, but even as the blast leaves her attacker's hand, Shepard is already in motion, diving behind the only available cover. The stone wall absorbs the brunt of the assault, and before her target can launch a second one, she's rising, hurling a focused globe of biotic energy that catches the smaller woman with her defenses largely down, knocking her to the dirt.

"And that," Ashara explains, taking off her helmet, "Is why you have to modify your tactics if the enemy is prepared for your attack." Reaching a hand down, she helps Jack to her feet before turning back to their students. "If I didn't know she was there, an-all out strike like that would knock down my barriers and open me up for a finishing blow. Since I was prepared though, the first attack failed, and with Jack having already committed everything she had to offense, she was the one left vulnerable."

The students nod, seeming to take her point. She'll see; the hard part will be unlearning their bad habits in practice. "Okay. 30 minute lunch break, and when we get back, pair off and take turns attacking and defending."

Ashara and Jack sit down on the hill overlooking the practice field, watching their students mingle as they eat. "You okay, Jack?"

"Shit, Shepard, I've been hit harder than that for foreplay. Still, I admit you've still got the moves. Nice to know getting regularly well-laid hasn't made you go soft."

Ashara laughs. "Thanks, I guess. Speaking of Liara, she asked if you're coming over for dinner."

"Why? Blue making something?"

"Hah, no, her culinary experience mostly consisted of cooks as a kid and then opening up ration packs on digs. We'll order in."

"Whatever, as long it's not chef's surprise." There's a pause. "Anyway, thanks for the invite; for me and for the kids."

Shepard knows gratitude has never come easy to Jack, so she avoids making a big deal of it. "I thought it'd be good for both of our students. It's helpful to train against people you don't know sometimes."

"True enough. You still in touch with the rest of the old gang?"

"A lot of them. A few like Zaeed and Kasumi disappeared, but I hear from most of the rest."

"So how is everybody?"

A mixed bag, she thinks with a sigh. For every Ashley or Wrex who're happy, there're others like Joker and Javik that seem lost. "Depends on who you're talking about, I guess."

"Grunt?"

"He's good. Wrex made him a general about six months back. Got a few kids with a few mothers from what I hear."

"Heh. Good for him. How about Jacob? He still playing house with that doctor?"

"No," she shakes her head regretfully. "They broke up a few months ago. He re-enlisted with the Alliance." She'd been taken off-guard by that development. He'd seemed so devoted to Brynn when they'd talked on the Citadel, but she supposes that the realities of the corporate security job he'd walked away from hadn't been what they'd seemed when peace was just a dream.

Jack, on the other hand, is unsurprised. "Figures," she snorts. "He acted superior, but underneath, he always was an adrenaline junky. I can spot 'em a mile away. What about Garrus and Tali?"

"Honestly? Not great either. I don't know… " The last time she'd talked to the turian, he'd been evasive but she could tell their relationship was on the rocks. Maybe Ashley will know more; she and Tali are particularly close.

"So much for finding true fucking love on the _Normandy_. Just you and blue I guess."

"Not quite. Ken and Gabby are doing well; they're both working for Alliance R&D, with a daughter last year and a son on the way."

"God, I'm just glad they finally fucked. I had to listen to them bickering all the goddamn time up in engineering. You ever seen two people who just needed to shut up and get it on more than those two?"

Ashara can't resist the dig. "I don't know. How about you and Miranda?"

It's a joke, but when Jack can't meet her gaze, the former Specter nearly doubles over laughing. "Seriously? You two?"

"Fuck you. It just happened. She was bringing some biotic refugees to the school and we just... We were talking about the old days, some shit about Zaeed I think, and we'd had a few drinks, so of course we started arguing. I don't know… I needed to shut her up was all."

"That was your solution?"

"Well, it was either kiss her or put her through a wall and, shit, that would've set a bad example for the kids. After that, things kinda happened fast. Turns out the cheerleader can be pretty aggressive when she wants something."

"And…"

"And it was fucking fantastic. Did you want details?"

"Not like that. I mean, are you two together now?" It's a pretty weird idea for Ashara to contemplate, and before she can really do so, Jack shrugs.

"The fuck do you think? Just cause the sex was good doesn't mean we could stand each other the next morning. Not everyone's you and Liara, all right. It doesn't always turn out roses and candles and shit. Sometime's, it's just screwing."

I'm sorry, Jack. I shouldn't have assumed."

"Don't sweat it, Shep. I'm feeling good, I've got my kids, and we stopped the Reapers from turning us all into slurry. Life could be a hell of a lot worse."

* * *

What makes this strange is that nobody else is even supposed to be here. Ondren is well off the beaten track, accessible through a relay that has only recently been opened, and as far as Doctor Joshua Steinman knows, he and his fellow researchers are the only people to visit it since the explorers that found the planet in the first place. They had reported that the temperate, mostly aquatic world is potentially fit for human habitation despite the storms that plague it, and so ExoGeni has sent him and his people to do a more detailed survey.

What they didn't report was any native life more intelligent than the flying creatures dubbed needlers, a sort of cross between a stingray and a predatory bird that's about as smart as a cat. None the less, when the researchers had started seeing strange shapes watching them from beyond the edge of their camp, heretofore undiscovered natives had remained a possibility; the initial survey had been brief, and something could have been missed. Yesterday, though, Jarod, their communications specialist, had picked up encrypted chatter, which meant outsiders; a group of stone age sentient beings might have been missed, but not an advanced civilization.

If someone else was trying to stake a claim on this planet, they needed to know about it, and so when the storms had abated somewhat, their security team had headed out to investigate. Sitting in his temporary shelter, trying to focus on his notes on local flora, Steinman's starting to worry that they haven't checked in yet. The weather can interfere with communications at times, but even still, he expects to have heard something after three hours and he's getting nervous. This expedition is a big career moment for him and the corporation doesn't take kindly to failure.

Screw reading fungus studies; he's calling. Donning his rain parka and boots, he heads out towards Jarod's tent. The storm has worsened again, and he can barely see five feet in front of his face as trudges through the mud, the wind and rain lashing at his face.

He's almost at his destination when he realizes something's wrong. The tent flaps are open, and when he manages to get a look inside, his heart jumps into overdrive. Inside, Jarod's dead, the salarian lying slumped over the transmitter, green blood leaking from a hole in his head.

The security team! He has to get them back now. He nearly trips over a portable generator in his haste, sprinting to the communications station, the corpse falling out of the chair when he pushes it to one side.

Fiddling inexpertly with the transmitter, his voice is a scream, filled with the desperate hope that someone is on the other end. "Major Cochran! Major Cochran! This is base camp. Do you copy?"

There's only static at the other end of the line and Steinman feels the panic start to overtake him. What if they've killed the whole security team as well? He needs to evacuate the camp, to get to the shuttle. Is there anyone even left alive to evacuate? Outside, the thunder crashes, and between the noise and his own fear, the doctor is so distracted that when the bullet enters the back of his head, he doesn't even have enough warning to scream.


	19. WTT: Commitment

She finds Ashara on her knees, planting tomatoes in the garden. Her wife finds it a soothing hobby, making things grow. Liara prefers taking things out of the dirt to putting them in, but since it makes Shepard happy, she's happy for her. Now, though, the news she's bringing is anything but soothing.

"Ashara."

"Hey." Shepard pulls off her gloves and wipes the sweat from her forehead. She's wearing a warm smile, but it fades as soon as she gets a glimpse of the concern written all over the asari's face. "What's wrong, Liara?"

She pauses for an instant before she speaks, but there's no way to avoid what Liara has to tell her. "It's Zaeed, Shepard. He's dead."

* * *

One week earlier…

"Come out and die, Massani!"

Vido's voice rings out over the sound of bullets ricocheting off of the forklift they're sheltering behind. It's taken Zaeed a year to track the son of a bitch down, a year of near misses and dead ends, and now that he's found him, the job has gone straight to shit. It doesn't matter how they screwed up but somehow, they did. The Blue Suns knew they were coming to the shipyard and when they got to the hanger, there were a whole hell of a lot more men than they expected waiting for them.

In response to the footsteps coming from their right, Pularch ducks out from behind cover, hurling a fragmentation grenade into the midst of the squad moving to flank them. He and the old turian are all that's left of their team. The other human and the two batarians they hired are already dead, and with the turian's left arm hanging limp and Zaeed's side burning from that fucking vorcha's flamethrower, the two of them are halfway there.

The mercenaries scatter away from the grenade and Zaeed snarls as he fires his Matlock, clipping two of the ones who escape the explosion before they make it out of his line of fire, retreating back into the maze of shipping containers they came out of. "You always did have a shitty eye for talent Vido. Bunch of goddamn amateurs."

It's an instant too late when he realizes that the attack was a diversion. By the time he spots the sniper, he's in position, and though the burst from Zaeed's assault rifle takes the man in the chest, he's already squeezed off a shot. Pularch slumps down next to him, warm blue blood spraying from his neck onto Zaeed. "Goddamn it," he mutters under his breath, the smoke from the grenades stinging his lungs. "Stay with me, you bastard."

There's no response but the mocking sound of Vido's laughter. "Not so tough without that bitch Shepard to hide behind, are you? I thought you'd retired. Guess you should have stayed out of the business."

He growls, tossing an incendiary grenade in the direction of the noise. Does that bloodless bastard really think he could have let it go? "That's your goddamn problem, Vido. You never got that some things are more than just business."

"My problem? You must be going senile, old man. You're the one who's about to die." He turns to his men. "Rush him, boys. There's five thousand credits for whoever brings me his fucking scalp."

From across the room, he hears the stampede of the mercenaries' boots heading towards his position, their greed overcoming their fear. As they approach, Zaeed reaches into his pocket, a lance of pain shooting through his torso as his hand closes around a small metal insurance policy. Three years ago, he was cheated out of his revenge. Not this time. Despite this disaster of a battle, Vido isn't getting away from him again.

He steals a glance at the shuttle, and his thumb plays across the detonator. Maybe, just maybe, he always wanted it to come to this. After all, what was he really going to do if he killed Vido and walked away? Go back to that fucking beach?

* * *

For a minute, it feels as if she can't breath. It's not that Zaeed was her friend; honestly, he was a son of a bitch. It doesn't matter though. He was one of the people who'd walked through hell with her, who'd covered her back when she needed it most, and now, like so many others, he's gone.

"How," she manages to ask.

Liara bends down, her arms wrapping around Shepard's neck, her warmth comforting the human while her voice remains calm and precise. "A week ago, there was a massive explosion at a shipyard on Illium owned by the Blue Suns. The bodies found there were too badly burned for a visual ID, but genetic tests were preformed."

"And it was Zaeed?"

"Yes. Along with Vido Santiago, among almost thirty others."

Vido. She'd suspected as much when Zaeed disappeared. "Damn it all to hell. Just how badly did he need his revenge?"

"He needed it even more than you know, love. The explosion came from a massive bomb on his shuttle. The police on Illium believe…"

"I can guess what they believe." Zaeed must have detonated it in order to make sure that Vido would die. A tear runs wet down her cheek, her voice slightly frantic as she asks, "Did I do this, Liara? I let Vido get away on Zorya."

Her wife kneels down next to her. "You told me that the workers at the refinery would have burned to death if you had not."

"But if I'd only been faster… I should've been able to stop Vido and save them. I should've saved all of them…"

* * *

Sitting in the dirt, holding Ashara as she sobs, Liara's heart aches. She fought countless battles and endured terrible losses but she doesn't carry the same burden Shepard does. She didn't spend every day of the war choosing who lived and who died, deciding which losses were acceptable and which weren't. Her bondmate has come so far in making her peace with the consequences of her actions since the end of the war, and a part of Liara is furious with Zaeed for bringing all of the guilt and loss back up again.

"It is not your fault, love," she says quietly. "Zaeed made his choice. He did not have to go after Vido. You did not do this."

She repeats those last words over and over, running her fingers through her lover's hair, until Shepard stops crying. The former Specter wipes away her tears, looking slightly ashamed of her breakdown. "I'm sorry, Liara. I didn't mean to collapse like that. I don't want to worry you."

The asari kisses Shepard tenderly. "Do not say that. You are my bondmate. You know that you never have to apologize for leaning on me."

"I… I do know. It's just, you've been so happy that I've been feeling better, and I want you to stay that way."

Liara rests her head against Shepard's white tank top, the human's hand stroking her crest a comfort to both of them. "Being with you is what makes me happy, no matter how you are feeling. The past follows all of us. Zaeed lost himself to it. You do not have to."

Ashara exhales, and pulls her arms tight around Liara. "I won't. Not with you here. I just wish we could finally stop paying the price for that damn war."

"One day at a time, Ashara." She traces kisses along her wife's sternum. "We will get through this together."

"We always have." Shepard gets to her feet, brushing the dust from her clothes. "Let's go see to the funeral arrangements. I don't imagine he's got a lot of other people to do it for him. Whatever Zaeed was, he was also one of us, and I owe him that much."

* * *

**So, what did people think of Zaeed's death scene? Whatever else happened, I didn't see him going out easy.**


	20. WTT: Digging Two Graves

"Zaeed Massani was a warrior."

Samara's voice carries out clear and serene over the small group gathered to pay their respects but Ashara's thoughts are still drifting back to the day when it was the Justicar that she'd nearly had to bury. On Kallini, watching the asari raise her pistol to her own temple, Shepard had been almost as angry as she was concerned. Mordin and Thane had only recently sacrificed themselves and the contrast with Samara's pointless attempt to kill herself in front of her already-traumatized daughter had been infuriating. Thankfully, Shepard had been fast enough that day. Not like on Zorya.

"The causes to which he lent his arms were not always righteous. Had we met under other circumstances, we could have been enemies. Fate decreed otherwise and I consider myself fortunate that it did. The Collectors were a foe worthy of his considerable talents and in the battles that we fought together, he proved himself to be steadfast, brave, and capable. It was my privilege to serve beside him."

"For some warriors, peace does not come easily, especially not if there are enemies still to be vanquished. I once told Commander Shepard that I would not die in bed. I am no longer certain if that is true, but it was for Zaeed. It is not for me to say whether or not he should have pursued his foe to the end that he did but I understand his choice. Now it is finished. May he find peace in the embrace of the Goddess."

As the old asari takes her seat, Jack stands to speak. Her leather jacket and jeans are something less than formal, but Ashara feels that Zaeed would approve.

The powerful biotic shifts uncomfortably at the podium. "Shit, I never know what to say at times like these. Probably shouldn't curse at a funeral either, but fuck it, he wouldn't have cared." She nods in the direction of the closed casket. "That's why I liked him. Most people are full of crap. They act like they're better than they are, like they don't want what they want or think what they think."

Shepard swears that Jack's eyes meet Miranda's for an uncomfortable instant before she continues. "That wasn't Zaeed. If he wanted to get drunk, he found a bottle. If you pissed him off, he kicked some ass. And if you were full of crap, he didn't sugarcoat it."

"He wasn't a saint. Hell, I once saw him crack a turian's mandible in half in a bar here on Illium for talking shit about some rifle Zaeed loved. But you know what? A lot of us aren't perfect, and I'd like to think that helping to save the galaxy earns you a little slack. I hope they're pouring a drink for you wherever you are Zaeed, and I'll have one for you down here just in case they're not."

Grunt is typically brief. "Massani was a good comrade. He taught me about napalm, and he showed me how to make an "Omega Twister." He may have been a human, but he would have been a good krogan. He slew many foes, and won many battles, and he died killing a worthy enemy." He chuckles. "Better to kill them and live, but this was good too."

And then it's her turn. She's been debating what to say for days now, but Jack's right. Zaeed would want the truth. "Before we worked together, I knew very little about Zaeed. He was supposed to be the deadliest mercenary in the Terminus Systems, and he'd taken a small fortune from Cerberus to work for me; that was about it. When we met, he was beating a batarian who owed his employer money and when I went with him to Zorya, he wanted to let a group of refinery workers burn to death so he could kill Vido Santiago. Those things matter and I didn't like him very much back then. I think he grew over time, but I'm not sure I ever would have called him a friend."

"And yet." She pauses, thinking of what she told Liara when she got the news. "He was one of us. He distinguished himself with his courage and his skill, and after the job that he was paid for was finished and the Collectors were destroyed, he didn't take his money and leave. His help saved a turian colony and brought the Volus fleet into our armada, and when the final battle was fought on Earth, he was in the thick of it. That matters too."

"Twenty-six hundred years ago, there was a Greek named Aeschylus who was one of the greatest playwrights humanity every produced. He won every prize his people could give him, and even today, his work lives on. When he died though, there was only one deed that he wanted remembered, and it wasn't any of the plays he wrote. On his tombstone, it simply gives his name, where he came from, and says, 'Of his noble prowess the grove of Marathon can speak, and the long-haired Persian knows it well.' That he fought in that battle, against the invaders who came to his homeland, meant more to him than anything else he had accomplished. And so, whatever else Zaeed's life contained, let his epitaph say: 'he served on the _Normandy_.'"

* * *

The reception that follows is small. Liara used her contacts on Illium to arrange for a discrete release of the body and the event was not made public. Even among the _Normandy_ crew, only those who had served when it was a Cerberus ship really knew Zaeed, and not all of them are even there. Kasumi remains missing, and Tali is absent as well, a fact that the asari is acutely conscious of as she joins Garrus at the buffet.

"Liara." He sounds tired. "It's been a while."

She gives him a small hug. "Too long. I am glad that you were able to come."

"But you're wondering why Tali isn't here. What, the Shadow Broker doesn't already know?" It's the kind of crack she'd expect from the turian, but his tone is flat, his usual good humor absent.

"My network is not what it once was."

"Well, then I should tell you we broke up. Tali just went back to the _Normandy_. Didn't know what else to do, I guess."

Liara completes the reasoning almost automatically. "And Ashley told Shepard that she had a mission chasing pirates in the Armstrong Nebula. What happened?"

He shakes his head. "I screwed up and I hurt her."

"How, Garrus? I cannot imagine that you would do such a thing."

"Didn't do it on purpose. It's just… You know the way you look at Shepard? The way she looks at you? It just wasn't like that for me with Tali. I wanted it to be, but it wasn't."

"Then why did you decide to…"

"Because the world was ending and neither of us wanted to be alone if it did. But then we lived and at first it was okay. We've been friends for years. I enjoy spending time with her. And even though the passion wasn't there, Tali didn't know any better. At least not at first."

Liara understands. After the first time she and Shepard made love, she had told Ashara that it was incredible. It had been a compliment, but also the literal truth. Without prior experience, she found it hard to believe how good her lover had made her feel. If it had been otherwise, how would she have known that wasn't right? The joining might have let her sense if Ashara's heart hadn't been in it, but that did not apply to Tali.

"She figured it out eventually though. Not much else to say. We fought, she left. I told her that for whatever it's worth, I feel like shit about it but right now she's pretty pissed off. Rannoch, me, all of it; she thought it would be different if we won. I guess I did too."

"I am very sorry, Garrus. If there is anything Shepard and I can do for you, you know that you only need to ask."

"Thanks. I've been working on war relief but Palaven's finally out of intensive care, so I'm kinda between gigs right now. Maybe I'll stop by Thessia for a little while, see if Shepard could use a guest instructor at that academy she's running. It might be good to get a change of scenery."

"I am sure she would be glad to have your help. And Garrus, do not be too hard on yourself. I know that you did not mean for this to happen and some day, I think Tali will understand."

* * *

Ashara's not sure she'd even want to be able to shrug things off the way Grunt does, but sitting at the bar with him, his good mood is cheering her up none the less.

"That was a good speech, Shepard. Never heard of Aeschylus, though." The krogan takes a swig of his Omega Twister, a noxious-looking concoction containing whisky, soda, a lemon, and some kind of dark, fizzy batarian liquor.

"I think you'd like his plays, Grunt. They're all about bloody revenge and war."

"Heh. Sounds good. You humans do have pretty decent art."

"Shepard, may I speak to you?"

She turns at the sound of Miranda's voice. "Sure. Give me a few minutes, Grunt."

They find a quiet corner and Miranda takes out a data pad. "I've completed the analysis you asked me to perform." After her last physical, Ashara sent the records to her former XO, asking her to cross-check them with the results of the Lazarus Project and work up a long-term prognosis for her.

"Overall, I would agree with your doctor's opinion that you're in excellent physical health."

"Good to hear."

"There are, however, some things that I should add to her evaluation. The Lazarus Project was focused on the immediate problem of reviving you, but there are two significant longer-term effects. The first, I'm afraid, is not good news. It is unlikely that you will be able to bear children."

Shepard nods. The doctor on Thessia had thought as much, but though the asari had some familiarity with humans, she had been less than knowledgeable about the subtleties of their reproduction. "I'm sorry, but the damage to your body was probably too extensive even before taking into account the effects of the treatments. It is conceivable that something could be done if you were interested in looking into solutions, but…"

Ashara looks across the room at her wife talking to Samara, somber yet beautiful in her black dress, and she smiles slightly. "I don't think that'll be necessary." There's only one person she can imagine wanting children with, and she won't be the one getting pregnant.

"I suspected that might be the case, but I still thought you should know." There's a hint of pain behind the returned smile, and Shepard remembers Miranda's own infertility. Liara had shown her the Shadow Broker's files years ago, when the asari thought she needed as much information as possible on the relative strangers watching her back, but today, it feels slightly invasive that she knows.

"The other news is considerably better. In order to restart your body, significant cellular regeneration was required and neural decay had to be prevented during the process. For this purpose, we didn't just apply one-time treatments. You were implanted with a range of nano-machines that would, over time, rebuild and repair all of your internal systems. Those machines are still inside you, working, and looking at your blood cultures and other data, there is reason to believe that they will have the effect of significantly extending your projected life-span."

"How much longer?"

"Perhaps a century beyond the current human average of a hundred and fifty. It's a rough estimate, and with continuing medical advances, it's difficult to say what further progress there might be."

Another hundred years. Maybe more. Plenty of time for… In spite of being with people, she finds herself choking up a bit. "You did… you did a hell of a job, Miranda."

There is real affection accompanying Miranda's pride when she replies. "Thank you, Shepard. I'm glad to be able to give you the news. It might interest you to know that my own upgrades are projected to have a similar effect, if not quite as beneficial. Even my father didn't have four billion credits to spend on his heirs after all."

Ashara laughs. "Well, it's good to know you'll be sticking around for a while too."

"Particularly since you seem determined to fill up my time. I've just started to examine the artifact you sent." Miranda consults her data pad. "Let me send you my complete medical report in case you have any…"

There's a ping from the device and abruptly the former operative's face changes, irritation and embarrassment spreading across it. "Miranda?"

"The gall of that woman! At a damn funeral!" Ashara scans the room, and when she sees Jack looking fairly pleased with herself, she grins.

"What did she send you?" Miranda blushes, hesitating to answer. "Jack told me what happened with you two. So what was it?"

Her reply is surprisingly quiet. "Her room number."

* * *

**I'd like to give thanks for the chapter title to Scorpio-666, who's review mentioned the old Chinese proverb: "If you begin a journey of revenge, dig two graves. One for your enemy and one for yourself." On another front, I'm not anti-Garrus/Tali. They're happily together in Home Life; I just think this is one way it could go. **


	21. WTT: A Dream Realized

Draping her dress uniform jacket over a chair, Shepard flops down on the hotel bed. As her body sinks into the soft mattress, Liara rolls over on top of her, her head resting lightly on Ashara's chest. Wrapping her arms around the asari, she can feel the tensions of a long day already starting to drain away, vanishing into her bondmate's warmth.

"Are you feeling all right, love?"

"I'm fine. It was a fitting send-off for Zaeed I think. And it was good to see everyone who came."

"It was, but Shepard, I really think that you should talk to Tali. Garrus is worried about her and she has always looked up to you."

Ashara sighs. Garrus and Tali were with her almost from the beginning, before even Liara, and they deserve better. "I'll call when we get back to Thessia. I just wish there was some way I could fix it." She pauses, setting aside that problem for the moment. "Right now though, there's something I need to tell you."

"Is this about your conversation with Miranda?" There's a nervous note in her wife's voice. Liara knows about the medical evaluation and Ashara is glad that she can put her fears to rest.

"It is. But don't worry, it's good news. Liara, she thinks I might live to be two hundred and fifty."

"Ashara, I…" The asari's eyes begin to moisten. "I cannot believe… Is she certain?"

"It's an estimate, but yeah, she's pretty sure. And with further advances..."

Before she can say more, Liara kisses her, tears in her eyes while her arms pull tight around Shepard. The asari has been afraid that the opposite might be true, that her resurrection might have been purchased at the cost of some of her future, and Ashara can feel relief and joy in the energy of her wife's kiss.

"That is… That is the most wonderful news."

"It is." She runs her hand down Liara's back. "And since it's settled, we can…"

"Ashara, I would have wanted children with you no matter what the results had been."

She nods, brushing her wife's tears away. "I understand that but I needed to be sure we knew everything." She lost her own family before she was grown, and she wanted to find out if she'll be able to be there for any asari daughters she and Liara might have. Knowing that she will is a huge weight off of her mind.

"And now we do."

"Yes, we do. You should also know Miranda told me that I probably won't be able to have kids myself." She keeps her tone light as she tells her wife but Liara still expresses concern.

"Shepard, I am sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. It doesn't matter to me." She takes the asari's face in her hands, looking deep into her big blue eyes. "There's only one person I want to have children with."

Sitting up slightly, she kisses Liara, her tongue sliding into her wife's mouth, and when their lips break the asari grins at her, mischief playing at the edges of her smile. "Would I be wrong to suspect you would like to start tonight?"

"If you want to. We can wait if you'd rather…"

"We have waited long enough." She's right. Years ago, Ashara had promised her lots of little blue children. It had been a dream then, a light at the end of an incredibly long, incredibly dark tunnel that helped keep both of them going. After the war, they had wanted a few years let to things get back to normal and just enjoy being together, but now, it feels like the right time to make that dream a reality.

Ashara purrs as she feels Liara's tongue trace up her neck and her fingers go to the laces of the asari's dress. While she's undoing them though, a question occurs to her. "So, how does this work? I mean, I know the basic idea…"

Liara's laugh is sweet and light. "You, love, simply have to be your usual…" She gasps as Shepard's fingers glide between the folds of her crest. "Usual, skillful self. When we join, at the end, I will have to do something different. It is hard to put into words, but I think you will know when I do."

"I see." Rolling her wife over onto her back, she begins sliding the black dress down Liara's body, kissing her skin as it's uncovered. "That hardly sounds fair."

"What do you mean?"

Ashara unhooks her dark blue bra, caressing her soft breasts with her hands. "Well, you have to do the work here and you're also the one who has to go through the pregnancy."

"I really do not mind…" Ashara closes her mouth around a dark blue nipple, sucking on it, and Liara's reassurance is replaced with a gasp of delight.

Shepard tilts her face up, smiling, while her fingers tease the slick nub. "I know. But let me thank you anyway."

Liara sighs happily. "That, I can definitely do." Her head leans back onto the pillows as Ashara resumes kissing her way down her body, dipping her tongue into her wife's navel.

When she reaches her panties, Ashara removes them slowly, taking a moment to enjoy the reveal of skin. The first time she saw Liara naked, she'd been struck by the simplicity of her anatomy. No hair nor folds of skin to navigate; just some darker blue scales framing the prominent head of her clitoris and her opening. It makes sense, she supposes: if you frequently date outside your own species, it's helpful if your pleasure centers are relatively easy to figure out.

As she begins kissing up Liara's inner thigh, she feels her wife's fingers tangle in her long blonde hair. Liara likes her hair; she says it's very human. Ashara hadn't thought about it that way before she met her bondmate, but it's true. No other major species has hair like that and she enjoys when Liara plays with it.

With Liara's hand urging her on, she begins to lick at those inner scales; they're exceedingly sensitive, and she's rewarded with a series of pleasant purrs. She slides her arms around Liara's legs, letting them rest on her back while she rubs the asari's torso. Liara's body arches and as her smooth blue stomach presses against her hands, Ashara can't help but imagine a daughter growing there, the thought filling her with happiness.

Her tongue moves to Liara's clit, repeatedly flicking over it and then withdrawing. Liara's breath hitches every time she does, and when she lets out a little whimper, Shepard stops her teasing, her strokes becoming firmer and more regular.

"Goddess, Ashara… You realize that we will have to be joined if we are to…"

Shepard interrupts her with another movement of her tongue before looking up. "Mm hmm. But I thought I'd take the edge off first and make sure you can concentrate when we do."

"You do not have to. It is… ah," Shepard kisses her clit again, "Instinctive."

She laughs. Honestly, she'd suspected as much, but she wants to do this anyway. "Well, you can just let me pretend then."

"Whatever you want, love." Liara grins and Shepard drops her head back down, savoring the taste of her wife, damp and sweet under her tongue. When a particular angle elicits a cry of delight, Ashara keeps at it, a flush of wanting shooting through her own body at the sounds her wife is making. Liara whispers her name over and over as Shepard pleasures her and just as her tongue starts to tire, the words are replaced with a sharp cry, Liara's thighs clamping around her head. As she writhes around Ashara, the human makes a final few strokes to prolong the climax, relishing each little twitch and gasp she elicits from the beautiful asari, and when she finally feels Liara's body relax, she looks up with pleasure at the satisfied expression on her bondmate's face.

She crawls up into her lover's arms, but as Liara strokes her hair, it's clear that her orgasm has only increased her ardor. "You," Liara observes, "Remain heavily overdressed."

"Well, we'll have to do something about that." Liara doesn't seem particularly patient, because even as Shepard unbuttons her dress shirt, the asari is unfastening her pants, pulling them down over her hips along with her underwear. She tosses the shirt aside and while she removes her bra, Liara runs her hands up her strong legs. Ashara's already turned on from tasting her wife, and when a blue finger traces over her opening, she gasps, even that light touch making her shudder.

"It appears I was not the only one who got some enjoyment from that."

"No," she breathes. "You know how much I love pleasing you."

Liara pulls her face close, kissing her passionately. "I do. And it is one of the countless reasons that I want to spend my life with you."

"I love you so much, Liara. To have these extra years, to have a family with you, it's more than seemed possible sometimes."

"I love you too, Ashara." Liara's eyes begin to darken. "Together," she whispers, and Shepard lets her mind open, feeling Liara's thoughts joining with her own. Even more than usual, she senses the desire for connection, for there to be nothing separating them. Ashara rolls on top of Liara, wrapping her arms around her wife, letting them both enjoy the heat of their skin, of their breasts and legs and lips pressed together.

For a minute, she just runs her hands over Liara, savoring the sensations of bare skin and shared desire, but before long, the asari slides a thigh between her legs. Pressing her soaking core against it feels so nice, especially when Liara's hands begin pulling at her back and hips, drawing them closer, increasing the friction between them. A small wet tongue runs over her ear, whispering, "Goddess, you feel so good," and a wave of desire floods through Shepard.

Her wife senses it too, the shared want amplifying her own craving and Ashara can tell that her massaging of Liara's crest isn't helping any. There are a hundred sensitive folds and tips there, and as her hand explores them one by one, she can sense a throbbing in Liara, a desperate desire for more of Shepard.

"I need you inside me. Please," Liara implores with her thoughts, and Ashara can never deny her bondmate when she sounds like that.

"Of course, my beloved," she sends, her hand moving down between them. Liara easily accommodates the two fingers that she slides inside the asari. She feels so good, so slick and soft around her hand, and as Ashara begins thrusting inside her, a surge of pleasure reflects back to the human. She needs more now too, and Liara responds, her fingers rubbing against Ashara's swollen clit. As Liara draws circles on her most sensitive part with her hand, it pushes Shepard close to the brink. The pleasure is incredibly sharp and she doesn't want it to end, desiring to be like this with Liara forever.

"More," Liara whispers, and Ashara presses a third finger into her wife. As she slides past the tight ring of muscle at the asari's opening, a feeling of ecstatic fullness radiates from Liara. Shepard feels her body pulse sympathetically and Liara responds by dipping two of her slim fingers inside her.

"God, yes," Ashara gasps, feeling herself squeezing tight around her wife's digits, and as she pushes deeper into Liara, the asari cries out, uncontrolled wisps of blue light filling the air.

"Ashara!" The sound of her name spoken like that is what finally does it, the word a prayer, a plea, and an affirmation of love all at once that sends her crashing over the edge, her wife tumbling with her into their shared climax.

As her mind fills with white light, Ashara feels Liara delve even deeper into her thoughts, sharing in that instant not only their bliss but some other, primal thing that she can't name. Instinctively, she clutches her bondmate close to her, the feeling of connection incredibly intense, the waves of pleasure and oneness going on and on until time seems to lose meaning. When at last their thoughts start to untwine and their fingers reluctantly withdraw from each other, Ashara catches a glimpse of some part of herself resting in Liara's mind, and she knows without question what happened.

She brushes her fingertips gently over Liara's face, looking up at her with a sense of wonder. "We're going to…" she whispers, not even needing to finish the sentence.

Liara turns her face into her palm, kissing it gently. "Yes," she replies softly, "We are," and there's no more that needs to be said before they drift off to sleep in each other's arms, their chests rising and falling as one.


	22. WTT: Leverage

"Fuck yes!"

As Miranda's hot mouth closes around her clit, she cries out, sweat dripping from her body while she tangles her fingers in the former operative's thick black hair. Her chest heaves, her breath coming in sharp gasps as she pushes her hips against Miranda's face, trying desperately to increase the pressure on her center. She's close, so damn close, and she just needs…

Thump!

The banging on the hotel room door snaps Jack back to reality. "Goddamn it," she mutters, wiping her hand on the sheets before throwing back on her gym shorts and t-shirt and heading to open it. A more prudent person would check who's there first, but prudent has never been an adjective used to describe Jack. If somebody's looking for a fight, they'll deserve what they get for the interruption.

Miranda. Jack can't say that she's surprised to see her, though as late as it's gotten, she'd been starting to wonder if the woman would have the nerve to turn up at all. Still, looking at her standing there, wearing that black dress along with an irate expression, Jack suspects it may be have been worth the wait.

"You really do not have any shame, do you?"

Jack smirks. "What're you talking about, cheerleader?"

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about. You were trying to pick me up at a damn funeral."

"Guess it worked. I mean, here you are."

"That is not why I came here."

"You mean to tell me you showed up at my door in the middle of the night just to bitch at me? You couldn't have sent a message?" She could keep this up all night; toying with the cheerleader is almost as much fun as fucking her. Still, almost isn't going to cut it, especially not with her clit still throbbing from her interrupted session, so she gets to the point. "You came here because you want to sleep with me."

"We have already been there, Jack. Nothing good came of it."

"Depends what you mean." She licks her lips suggestively. "It was pretty fucking good the way I remember it."

"And the next day, despite it's supposed quality, you still almost broke a plate over my head at breakfast."

"So? I'm not saying we buy the house on Thessia next door to Shepard and T'Soni. Right now, tonight, we just buried a friend and we could both stand to get laid. That's all." That's all, she repeats to herself. The fact that she keeps thinking about Miranda when she jills off doesn't mean anything.

"And tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, I go back to my school, you go back to whatever top secret Alliance R&D shit you've been up to, and we don't worry about it."

* * *

The woman is infuriating. Absolutely infuriating. At yet, she has a point. Miranda did not come here to yell at her. So why did she come? Because she feels something for Jack. Her whole life, Miranda never been with anyone she truly loved, just had a string of sexual encounters she was largely indifferent to. Jacob was the closest she came to a real relationship, but though she felt affection for him, he's not a man to ignite grand passions. Jack, though… It's not like she loves her; even saying the words to herself sounds ridiculous. But she definitely feels something when she's with her. A lot of it might be frustration and anger, but it's also exciting and tonight, that's enough.

"Deal," she says simply and before the ex-convict can reply, Miranda steps into the room, slamming the door behind her, kicking off her shoes, and seizing Jack in her arms. Their lips crush together and she feels Jack's tongue pushing inside her mouth while her hands grab her ass.

"Aren't you in a rush," she chides while running her fingers through the ex-convict's short brown hair.

"Fuck you." One small hand slides down under her dress and back up her thigh, the thumb exploring under the waistband of her black panties. "I was in the middle of something when you interrupted me."

An image of Jack naked and touching herself jumps into Miranda's thoughts and she finds herself flushing as she wonders if it was her the powerful biotic was thinking of. There's no time to speculate though as Jack's fingers have made their way inside her underwear, yanking them down in a single, abrupt motion.

Before she can make any further comments about patience, Miranda feels Jack going to her center, and when two fingers slide easily inside her, she moans louder than she means to at the sudden, pleasing penetration. She's almost never this ready this fast and clearly Jack is right that she needs this.

She's not quite prepared to entirely surrender control though, so while Jack pushes deeper inside her, she reaches under the woman's loose grey t-shirt, her hand closing around a small breast. It fits nicely in her palm and feeling the nipple already hard against her hand, she rubs it between two of her fingers. Jack gasps and when Miranda pinches harder in response, the ex-convict arches her back, her fingers slipping out of the brunette as she does. Despite herself, Miranda groans with disappointment but Jack only laughs.

"Don't worry. I'm not done with you by a long shot."

* * *

Miranda starts to reply, but Jack senses an advantage and cuts her off, her biotics spinning the taller woman around and pushing her so that she's facing up against the hotel wall. Without hesitation, Jack yanks down the zipper of her dress, dropping it to the ground and leaving Miranda naked in front of her. God, she does have a great ass Jack thinks as she presses up against it. She'd definitely like to fuck her in it, but that's not really a second date activity, at least probably not for Ms. Lawson, so Jack just reaches her hand around a pale hip and between her legs, rubbing Miranda's clit while she nips at her back, leaving little marks along her shoulder blade.

Miranda moans and she's so turned on that Jack can't resist having some fun with her. "You enjoying this, Miranda?" she purrs into her ear, her free hand massaging her ample breasts. The brunette just keeps making the most entertaining sounds, rocking against Jack's hand as she rubs her, so she continues, "I'll take that as a 'yes.'" She pushes two fingers inside, letting her palm rub against Miranda's clit while she thrusts. "You see what I meant before? Life's a hell of a lot better when you stop being such a prissy bitch and admit what you want."

"Would you just shut the fuck up and make me come?"

God, she loves how desperate Miranda sounds right now. Jack stops moving her fingers for a second, letting them rest inside Miranda, though she continues toying a pink nipple with her other hand. "Not a problem, cheerleader. One thing though. I want you to say my name when I do."

Miranda's hips push against her hand. "Jack," she protests.

"Yeah, like that. But with a little more feeling."

"Fuck you, Jack."

"Closer." She presses her fingers deeper inside Miranda, giving her just a taste of what she wants. "But it should be 'Fuck ME, Jack.'"

Miranda hesitates and Jack teases her tongue slowly along the outside of her ear while keeping the rest of her body perfectly still. "Really? You're gonna hold out now?"

"Fine," Miranda concedes. "Fuck me, Jack." She can tell the woman's trying to make her voice as unemotional as possible as she forces the words out, but there's still an undercurrent of lust that she can't hide.

"Was that so hard?" Jack presses her body against Miranda's back, her fingers starting to move inside her again.

"Fuck, yes," Miranda moans, rocking her hips lustfully against her hand, her perfect ass rubbing tantalizingly against Jack's clothed body as she does. "Fuck me. Fuck me, Jack, you little bitch."

"Sure thing, cheerleader." She adds a third finger, shoving it inside as Miranda keeps mumbling obscenities at her. The woman is so wet, so ridiculously aroused that Jack finds herself wondering how long it's been since she's had a decent lay. Watching her unravel like this under her touch, Jack feels herself getting hotter, the throbbing between her own legs becoming more needful as she pushes Miranda towards the edge.

"Yes! Harder, fuck you, you can do better than that. Fuck, fuck , fuck, fuck…" That word seems to be the only one Miranda can remember, the rest of her vocabulary disappearing as she climaxes around Jack's hand. It's almost painful how tight she's squeezing around her fingers, and when Jack pulls them out, the former operative collapse to the ground, panting at her feet.

* * *

On her knees, naked and gasping for breath as the tide of pleasure recedes, Miranda is on the verge of giving up any hope of ending the evening with a shred of self-respect. As she turns around, it only gets worse, the ex-convict staring down at her wearing the same smug grin she's had all evening. For an instant, she can't figure out what she can do to salvage this situation, but when she looks into Jack's big brown eyes, she doesn't see just self-satisfaction but also hunger and suddenly, a plan takes shape. With as much dignity as she can muster under the circumstances, she stands, picks up her underwear, and pulls them on.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Ah, there's the reaction she's looking for. "That was very enjoyable, Jack, but it really is getting late and we've both had a long day."

"You have got to be kidding me, cheerleader." Jack committed one crucial error. All day, she's had Miranda at a disadvantage, because Miranda wanted something from her and Jack knew it, but then she gave it to her. Miranda may have made a fool of herself getting it, but it's still swung the balance of power in her favor as the frustration in Jack's voice makes clear.

"I'm not sure what you mean. Certainly, if this were a relationship, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to leave you so frustrated, but as you correctly pointed out, it's not."

She starts to put on her dress when Jack stops her. "Wait. What the hell do you want?"

"Seeing as you're looking for some consideration, perhaps you should try showing some."

"What, making you come so hard you nearly broke my fingers doesn't count?" Miranda fights back the urge to blush and instead shoots Jack her best withering stare.

"All right." Jack turns away, not wanting to look her in the eye when she says it. "Would you please let me have a fucking turn?"

"There we go." Miranda drops her dress and steps over to Jack, tiling her head down and kissing the shorter woman. She means it to be purely sexual, but maybe because her body's still feeling so good from what Jack did to her, there's more affection in the kiss than she intends. The ex-convict doesn't seem to mind though, pressing her body up against her as Miranda pulls off her grey t-shirt.

She always forgets how slight Jack is, the force of her personality making her seem bigger than she really is, but as Miranda pushes her back onto the bed, she looks unusually vulnerable. Following her down, Miranda runs her hands over her tattooed skin, rubbing the surprisingly strong muscles underneath it. The biotic groans, her legs spreading in the clear hope of a quick release, but Miranda instead cups Jack's breasts with her hands, her fingers teasing the rock-hard nipples, but not going any lower.

"Damn it! Didn't I ask nicely?"

Miranda smiles wickedly, running her tongue up the side of Jack's neck while she keeps massaging her breasts. "You did," she whispers in her ear. "But a little patience wouldn't kill you."

"Come on, Miranda. I was so fucking close when you got here."

"Well, since you're being so polite about it…"

Miranda makes her way down Jack's body, pulling off her black gym shorts. She's deliciously aroused and even a quick flick of Miranda's tongue over her outer lips is enough to elicit a cry of pleasure from the smaller woman. She starts slowly, but Jack seems so close, so responsive to each movement of her tongue, that Miranda decides not to make her wait too long.

Feeling Jack writhe around her, her thighs pressing against her head, screaming herself hoarse as Miranda licks her clit while she slides a finger inside her, the former operative forgets their earlier competition. There's something in Jack's desperate desire for her that causes Miranda to want to make Jack come, not to prove a point or gain an advantage, but just to do it. When she does, Jack's clit pulsing against her tongue, her body clenching around her finger, Miranda lets her enjoy it. She draws the climax out, slowly stroking Jack's core with her tongue while the aftershocks run their course, and only when the biotic has slumped back down into the mattress satisfied does she rise to find her clothes.

"Hold on." She's halfway across the room to her dress when Jack's voice stops her.

"What is it?"

"Fuck it. It's late. If you wanna stay here tonight…"

A dozen cutting remarks spring to mind, but she drops all of them unsaid. Right now, the empty room back at her own hotel doesn't seem very appealing, especially not compared with the naked woman lying there in bed. So she turns around and slides under the sheets, and as she feels Jack's warm sweaty body press against hers, she realizes that she may be in a little trouble. She came here tonight in part because she thought she knew what it was Jack wanted from her and now, not only is she not so sure that she did, she thinks that might be a good thing.

* * *

**So, I'm a bit nervous about this chapter because it's something of a departure for me stylistically. Still, it felt appropriate to Miranda and Jack, so let me know what you thought. I don't usually do two smutty chapter in a row either, but in this case there wasn't an easy way to avoid it. I'd say that the next chapter will get us back to plot, but I actually think that both of these did advance the story.**


	23. WTT: Old Acquaintances

"So, how long do you think it'll be before they're getting shot at for real?"

It's a gorgeous day on Thessia, and as Ashara stands with Garrus overlooking the practice field, watching a sea of young asari taking rifle practice, the gloomy question feels a bit incongruous.

"Always nice to see that positive outlook of yours, Garrus."

The turian chuckles. She's glad to hear it. He's been staying on Thessia for over half a year, and his good moods have been few and far between.

"Seriously though, Shepard. We're building them this shiny new military. When do you think the asari will need it for real?"

"Who knows?" Ashara shakes her head, thinking about some of the diplomatic headaches she's been encountering. "A lot of what's left of the batarians have turned pirate. Han'Gerrel and some of the quarian fleet have been causing border problems. Nobody's even seen the Leviathans since the last battle. I don't think anybody wants a real war just yet, but there're certainly enough problems that I wouldn't rule one out."

"Now who's an optimist?"

She claps Garrus on the shoulder. "Me. I mean, we've got the krogan and even the rachni playing nicely with everyone else, the asari are showing a little humility, and humans and turians seem to have buried the hatchet for good. A lot of stuff has gotten better, even if there are still plenty of issues out there."

"Well, I guess it's good to know there's still a use for our skills. Hate to think I'd be reduced to handing out parking tickets."

She shakes her head. "Not likely. And speaking of uses for our skills, are you up for a field trip?"

"Hey, when have I ever said 'no' to a mission with you? What's it about though? I'm surprised you'd want to travel right now."

"I don't really, but it's important. Liara found Kelly Chambers." After Bahak, much of the crew went their separate ways, and though most of them were either found safe or confirmed dead long ago, Kelly had just vanished, disappearing into the chaos of the war. Now, Liara has found the false name she was using to hide from Cerberus, and Ashara feels an obligation to make sure she's all right, especially considering where her trail leads.

"So, where is your old assistant these days?"

"Your favorite place in the galaxy."

Garrus gives her a quizzical look before figuring it out. "Omega."

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be okay while I'm gone?"

"Ashara, I am not an invalid. At least not yet."

Though Liara is nine months pregnant, asari take fifteen to bring a child to term and it's only recently that she's even started to show. Still, standing in their garage, looking at her beautiful wife in her white dress, Shepard is finding it hard to get into the car. She smiles apologetically. "I know you can take care of yourself. It's just, it's our first kid and I worry is all."

"You are quite sweet, love," Liara replies, stepping into her arms for a farewell embrace. "At any event, Aethyta will be here."

"What do you think I'm concerned about? Four days visiting with your father? I might get back and find out you killed her." Ashara is half-kidding; the two asari have been getting along better recently, though that still does sound like a lot of Aethyta.

"We will be fine. You are the one going to a lawless den of iniquity."

"I'll have Garrus watching my back and the three students coming with me are some of my best."

"I am glad to hear it." Liara tightens the hug and gives Ashara a long, deep kiss. "Go. Be Commander Shepard. Look after your crew."

"I love you so much, Liara. And you," she adds, stroking the swell of her wife's stomach affectionately, "Don't worry. Your dad will be back before you know it."

"I love you too, Ashara. Now you had better leave. Garrus will complain all the way to Omega if you're late for the flight."

* * *

Thank god for Omega, Ashara thinks as she fastens her helmet into place and gets ready to disembark from the captured mercenary ship they've borrowed from the asari government for this trip. Covering her face is pretty much the only way she can go unrecognized these days, but in most of the nicer parts of the galaxy, walking around in full combat armor might seem a bit suspicious. Here, it's just good sense.

"So, why are we operating incognito, sir? Wouldn't people be more cooperative if they knew it was you they were dealing with?"

At 121, Elphi is by far the youngest of three asari accompanying her, and also the most inquisitive. She was a university librarian of all things before the war, and first saw action evacuating the campus when the Reapers hit Thessia. Still, she's a natural at biotic combat, and brings an infectious enthusiasm to everything she does.

"A few reasons." It's one of the differences between being an officer and being a teacher. Soldiers follow orders. Students get an explanation. "For one thing, when I go anywhere, it's a circus, but on Omega, that means something a little different. I don't feel like having to kill some dumb krogan trying to make a name for himself by taking down Commander Shepard."

Garrus completes her explanation with a laugh. "Plus, I might have made a few enemies the last time I was here."

* * *

Sadly, their disguise doesn't last long, at least not with everyone. They're barely a hundred meters off the ship when they're met by a welcoming committee of two sour-looking turians and a batarian.

The batarian, whose name she's pretty sure is Bray, turns to them. "Commander Shepard, you need to come with us."

"And who, exactly are you to give that order?" Cellia steps forward, her hand dropping to the Acolyte pistol at her side. The royal blue-skinned asari is probably the best natural leader out of her students, but she can also be a bit of a hothead.

The turians finger their assault rifles and Shepard backs Cellia down before Garrus shoots them. He's always had a bit of a short fuse, and lately, he's grumpier than usual. "It's fine, we'll go talk to Aria."

* * *

Considering the war and the Cerberus occupation, it's remarkable how little Afterlife has changed. The pulsing music, the lights, the gyrating asari dancers, all of it layered over an ugly air of desperation and barely contained violence: it could be the day Shepard first walked in here looking for Archangel and she wouldn't know the difference.

When they get to the office overlooking the club floor though, Ashara can't say the same for either it's self-styled queen, or her couch. The old white and black sofa has been replaced with red leather, but where the furniture is new, the asari rising from it seems older. There's a measure of weariness in the way she carries herself and the long scar running down her neck and disappearing beneath her white jacket speaks to the hard road she travelled to regain power.

"So, what brings the galaxy's biggest troublemaker back to my station? Did you think I wouldn't know it was you?" There's a note of anger in her voice.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." She's not particularly inclined to give Aria any information she doesn't have to. The two of them aren't exactly on the best of terms and she'd hate for Kelly to become a pawn in some game between them.

"You've got a certain amount of nerve, I'll give you that. You really thought it was a good idea coming here, after leaving me to retake this station by myself?"

Garrus snorts derisively beneath his helmet. "You might have noticed she was busy saving the entire galaxy, your purple ass included."

"Archangel. A word from me to the right people…"

"And I might have to thin out Omega's merc population a bit further."

The guards around them bristle and the hint of violence that's always present in Afterlife becomes a palpable presence. Her students sense it too, and Ashara watches how they position themselves. Their tactical judgments seem sound, especially Rissia's. The former N-7 talks little, but she moves with a deadly grace that reminds Shepard of Thane. The two batarians she's standing near will both be dead in seconds if trouble starts and they don't even realize it.

Before things can go any further, Aria sits down and her guards take the cue and back off. "Fuck it," she says, turning her attention back to Shepard. "We may not be friends but there's no reason we have to be enemies. I'm just making sure you're not planning on turning this place into a slaughterhouse again."

"We're not. We're just here to see someone is all." She doesn't exactly appreciate the characterization of her rescue of Garrus, but there's no need to argue about it when Aria's conceding the substance of the argument.

"Fine. Just remember the one rule on Omega and we shouldn't have any trouble."

"Not a problem. Think you could see your way clear to not telling half the station we're here."

"Now you want a favor?"

"I'll be fine either way. I just think it'll avoid some of that mess you mentioned."

Aria only dismisses them with a wave of her hand, but as they leave, Shepard hears her tell her people, "Hands off. Any trouble and you answer to me."

* * *

Once they're out of earshot, Cellia turns to her instructor. "That was close. For a moment, I was concerned that we would have to kill them."

"There was never any real chance of that."

"Why not, sir?" Elphi enquires.

"Why do you think?"

"They know your reputation."

"And Garrus' as well," Shepard adds. "Plus none of you three exactly look like pushovers. Aria may act like she's not afraid of anything but she hasn't lasted this long by getting into fights she's unlikely to win. She did beat feet out of here pretty quickly when Cerberus attacked after all. But that's not the only reason. What would happen if she did take us down?"

"She would be dead within a week," Rissia says flatly.

Garrus chuckles. "She might last two if she ran very quickly. But if she actually killed Shepard, the Alliance, krogan, the asari, the rachni, and pretty much half the rest of the galaxy would be tripping over each other to get revenge."

Ashara nods. For a long time, she and her crew operated with very little support, and it's good to know that people have her back now. It's also, however, the unmentioned reason she wanted to come here anonymously; her students won't have that advantage when they're on their own and she wants to see how they behave without it.

"Lesson over," she tells them. "Now let's go find 'Katherine Sedwick.'"

* * *

**And there's the other major mission Ashara didn't complete. More of the consequences of that choice will be explored next chapter. Also, as I mentioned in a note for "The Other Side," I have not read the comics and don't consider anything outside of the games themselves to be canon. **


	24. WTT: Scars

Cellia had broken the arm of a batarian informant who got grabby and Elphi was a bit overenthusiastic using her biotics on some vorcha muggers, but otherwise it was a relatively bloodless three days that had led them to a familiar destination. Bathed in the dim light of Mordin's clinic, Ashara feels a pang of regret. If only she'd gotten to the tower sooner, maybe he'd be here waiting for them; she doubts the sea shells could have held his attention this long. At least she knows what his death was for; every time she talks to Wrex about his children or helps the krogan set up new colonies, she thinks of it as a small tribute to her friend's work.

"Halt, unidentified visitors." The pair of security mechs greeting them aren't a surprise given their gear, and she decides this is probably a good time to dispense with anonymity.

"Commander Shepard!" As she removes her helmet, the bearded figure of Dr. Abrams rushes forward to greet her, waving off the mechs. "This is a surprise."

"Doctor, it's good to see you." He seems more mature, more solid than the scared assistant she rescued almost six years ago and it suits him. "You look like you're doing well."

"I am, I am. Listen, I was sorry to hear about Mordin."

"Well, he died doing something he believed in. You know, he's the only salarian with a statue on Tuchanka?"

"He'd like that I think."

"He certainly would." Mordin always did have an ego, but no one can doubt that he earned the honor. "I'm glad to see you carrying on his work."

"It's the least I can do, given everything he taught me. So, what brings you here?"

"Actually, I was hoping to see someone on your staff." She almost says Kelly Chambers, but she's not sure if the doctor knows her real name. "Katherine Sedwick."

"Of course. I think she's in-between patients right now. Should I get her out here?"

"No, I'll go in. Just give us a few minutes, okay?"

* * *

"Kelly?"

The name, like the person who says it, feels like it comes from a different life. A life when she always had a smile on her face and when she thought that all of this was a grand adventure. She feels so far from that girl that it takes her a minute to realize who's there.

"Kelly?"

The second time though, there's no mistaking her voice. Kelly can still remember the first time she heard it on the bridge of the _Normandy_. It's calm and reassuring and it always made Kelly think that nothing bad could happen to her as long as she was there. Looking up at her, there are slight differences: longer hair, fewer cares written on her face, but the woman in front of her still appears as if she's stepped straight out of that old life.

"Shepard? Is it really you? What're you doing here?"

"I came to find you. Are you okay?"

She's not really sure how to answer. What can she say to a woman who's been through the hell that Shepard has that wouldn't sound like a child complaining about a stubbed toe? "I'm all right."

"What happened?" There's real concern in Shepard's voice. "How did you end up here?"

She takes a deep breath. She can do this. "I thought I was starting to do better, after the Collectors. I really did. When I left the _Normandy_, I changed my name, I dyed my hair black, and I went to Palaven. I thought Cerberus couldn't get to me there and I… I always liked turians." She blushes and smiles just a little but when Shepard smiles back, there's a pained note to it. The commander knows where the story goes next.

"It was like it the nightmare had come back to find me again. All of these people were trying to get to the spaceport when the Reapers fell on us. These… things were everywhere, killing people, eating their bodies right in front of me, and all I could do was run."

She shakes at the memory, her knees feeling like jelly, and Shepard's strong arms catch her, pulling her up. Kelly's had so many fantasies that start this way. Once, long ago, she thought there was a chance it could be real between them. Shepard had been so kind to her, but Kelly had also sensed a hurt in her, the loss she had suffered when the _Normandy_ had been destroyed. She'd told herself that she could heal the heart of the gallant commander and win it in the process.

She'd felt so ridiculous the first time Liara came on board the ship, when they went to Hagalaz. Here was this beautiful, powerful asari that the commander looked at like there was no one else in the galaxy, and she was just dumb Kelly from nowhere who'd never had a chance. What a stupid little girl she had been.

"Somehow, I got to a ship and we just fled, flying from world to world, trying to find someplace safe. It seemed like there was nowhere to go though, nowhere they weren't following. A lot of the other passengers were convinced that there was no hope, but I had to believe that somehow, you'd rescue me again, rescue all of us."

"Kelly, I'm sorry I couldn't have been there."

"But you did save me. We were… we were so close to dead. Our ship, the Reapers were chasing it down. We couldn't get to the relay. There was no way out, just like when the Collectors… And then you fired the Crucible, and suddenly it was over. Just like that, we were all okay. Afterwards, we got stranded because of the relays and when they started working, I ended up here. A lot of refugees did. It was one of the few places in the Terminus Systems that could take us in."

"But once things settled down, why did you stay here? Cerberus is gone. You're safe now."

"There was nowhere else for me to go. My parents died on Earth and I…" Tears of shame start to flow unbidden from her eyes. She must look so pathetic and yet she can't stop them. "I couldn't face the rest of you. I mean, you, and Garrus, and Thane and everyone else, you were all heroes. You fought, and some of you died, and you saved the whole galaxy, and instead of helping you, I just ran and hid. I don't deserve…"

"Don't think that way, Kelly." The commander's voice is gentle as she comforts her. "You weren't a soldier."

"Do you really… you don't blame me for leaving you, for not coming back to the _Normandy_?"

"You helped us when we fought the Collectors and you survived. That's enough. It's more than a lot of people did. The rest of the crew would be glad to see you again."

"Thank… thank you." Her voice is thick in her throat. To hear this from Shepard, it means a lot. "Maybe I will someday. For now though… so many of the refugees here have been through so much and they need a councilor. Helping them, it… it lets me sleep." At least a little bit. It's still a rare night that she doesn't wake at least once in a cold sweat, feeling those hands reaching out to grab her vulnerable skin, that sick feeling of helplessness filling her being.

"Whatever you want." There's real warmth in her smile. "Is there anything I can do to help out?"

"No, I... It's just… " Shepard looks so healthy, so much happier than she used to. "How do you do it, commander? How do you deal with the nightmares?"

"A day at a time. It hasn't always been easy, but I try to remember what it was all for and," Kelly sees Shepard's smile unconsciously broaden, "I've had a lot of love and support."

She feels a pang of foolish jealousy but she tries to push it away. Shepard was never hers to lose. "Tell Liara, I… congratulations to both of you." Shepard looks puzzled for a second and Kelly gives her a little smile. "For the baby. Hey, even here on Omega it was big news when the press found out she was pregnant."

The commander shakes her head. "It still takes a little getting used to, everything I do being galactic news, but thanks. By the way, do you want to see Garrus too? He's outside."

"I really would. And commander," she gives her a final hug, "I'm really glad you came here."

* * *

As they walk away from the clinic through the dank corridors that make up Omega's slums, Ashara's not totally sure what to feel. She's relieved that Kelly is physically safe, but she'd been such a sweet, naive girl and to see the damage that's been done to her is hard. Whatever Shepard went through, she was a soldier, a Specter. She'd been trained, if not for what happened, than at least for something. Too many civilians went through too much and she just hopes that Kelly will be able to find her way back in time.

She's snapped out of her thoughts by the realization that someone's following them. Garrus notices it too, and he and the students drop into formation, scanning the periphery.

"Show yourselves!" Cellia's voice echoes in the confined space, and Shepard sees someone move in response at the edge of her vision. Her Paladin is in her hand but before she decides if she needs it, another voice answers.

"Stand down you two. They're friendly. Isn't that right, Archangel?"

Emerging from the shadows is a female turian who's black armor makes for a striking contrast with her red facial markings. The two scruffy looking humans who follow are a bit less memorable, and they hang back, deferring to the woman.

Garrus sighs. "Doesn't this disguise work on anyone?"

The female turian grins at him. "Maybe with some people, but I've studied you. That's why I know you weren't there to give Dr. Abrams trouble, unlike these two."

"Course not. Just visiting an old acquaintance."

"So, who's this with you? A new team?"

"Not exactly." Ashara removes her helmet. "You want to introduce me to your friend?"

"Commander Shepard, Nyreen Kandros. Nyreen, Shepard."

Unlike the two awestruck humans next to her, if Nyreen is impressed, she hides it well. "So, I'm guessing that means you really were Garrus Vakarian all along? I'd heard rumors, but you never know what to believe on Omega." She turns to Shepard. "Archangel and I crossed paths a few times back when he was trying to clean up this station."

"A fool's errand," Garrus chuckles. "Nyreen here used to be particularly close to Aria, so she knows as well as anyone what a mess it is. What're you up to now? I heard you two had a falling out and these don't look like her men anyway."

"Somebody has to look out for the greater good and it certainly won't be Aria. These guys are Talons. After you and Shepard thinned out the more bloodthirsty gangs, they became one of the bigger players around here. When Cerberus killed their old leader, I took over. It helps me to do a little good for the people on Omega, like looking out for that clinic."

Shepard nods her head approvingly. Here on Omega, a relatively benevolent gang counts as a step in the right direction. "What happened with Aria anyway? She seems edgier than the last time I saw her."

Nyreen lets out a sound that's somewhere between a growl and a sigh. "It got personal with her and Cerberus. The general they had running things during the occupation, Petrovsky, was a real problem, some kind of strategic genius, and she wanted him out of the way. He had a brother, also in Cerberus, but low-level, a tech stationed somewhere else. Aria had him killed badly and sent the photos to Petrovsky. She was trying to lure him away from here chasing her so that she could retake the station. It didn't work though, just made him mad."

"When you destroyed Cerberus HQ, she decided that weakened Petrovsky enough to attack head-on, but when she got here, he'd already fled. Left behind all the soldiers that were turning into husks though, and also these… things. Cerberus called them Adjutants, but they were just nasty, ugly monsters created with Reaper tech and he let them run wild as a final, spiteful gesture. Spirits, that was a vicious battle." She pauses, remembering. "It took a toll on Aria; she lost a bunch of people including that turian bodyguard of hers, Grizz, and picked up a real nasty scar. Nyreen forces a smile. "Plus, he set her couch on fire."

Petrovsky. She's heard that name before. According to Liara, he's still out there in the Terminus Systems, and with one of the larger contingents of ex-Cerberus personnel around. "That must have made Aria really happy."

"About as much as you'd think. She's put a bounty on him large enough to buy a pretty nice ship and it doubles if you bring him in alive. What she really wants is to tear him apart with her bare hands."

"I guess she really did love that couch," Garrus cracks.

Shepard shakes her head, disgusted at the whole bloody business. Just one more problem left over from the fucking war. "What a mess."

"Really is. I just hope the people here don't get caught in the crossfire when they finally settle it for good."

"I appreciate that, and that you're looking out for the clinic. A friend of mine was the one who started it." She'd rather not compromise Kelly's privacy any more than she probably already has by explaining their connection. "I'm going to find them some additional funds, but if they need anything else, I'd like to know."

"Sure thing. It's welcome to have somebody with pull giving a damn." As they start to leave, Nyreen adds with a sly laugh, "And keep an eye on Archangel, Shepard. He's trouble."

* * *

**So, no Omega mission means Nyreen doesn't necessarily die the same way. As for Aria, I figure she'd be willing to fight pretty dirty to get back the station.**


	25. WTT: Familiar Patterns

The kiss that Liara gives her when she gets out of the car is the kind of good, long kiss that Ashara has to follow up with several smaller ones just because she doesn't want it to be over.

"I see you missed me." Liara's hands are warm running over her back as her head rests against Shepard's chest.

"You know that I did, Ashara. I always…"

"I know." When they'd first been reunited after she destroyed the Reapers, it had been hard for Liara to be apart from her for too long. Over the last few years her wife's fears of losing her have eased, but they haven't dissipated entirely. "It's good to be home."

"The message you sent when you landed indicated that you did not enjoy the flight very much."

"You can say what you want about Cerberus, but the SR-2 was a hell of a lot more comfortable than that piece of junk the asari lent us. My back did not appreciate those chairs."

Liara gives her a sympathetic look. "In that case, why don't you join me in the hot tub and you can tell me about your journey."

"Mm." Some days, she really does feel exceptionally lucky. "You in a hot tub… it may be a while before we actually discuss the trip."

Her wife's smile turns slightly mischievous. "I can be patient."

* * *

Some time later, when both of them are feeling a great deal more relaxed, Liara's bondmate asks her with a laugh, "So, when we get out of here, should I check the garden for an Aethyta-shaped hole?"

Liara purrs happily, still enjoying the afterglow. "You will be pleased to know that I actually came to a better understanding of why she has acted the way that she did."

"Go on."

"It can be traced back to Benezia. I knew very little about their relationship and it was far more intense than I had realized. They were together for a hundred years, and when Aethyta lost my mother just as they were going to have a daughter, it hurt her very badly."

"What happened to them?"

"It was politics but also personality. Both of them had always believed in changing the Asari Republics, but when they finally started to gain the power they had sought, it did not work out as they had hoped. Aethyta can be… abrasive and my mother worried that she was becoming a liability in her public appearances while Aethyta became jealous of Benezia's followers. She thought that she was using her sexuality as a means to control them as well as to gain influence over important people."

Ashara shakes her head sympathetically. Liara had heard the occasional unsavory rumor about her mother before, but she'd never wanted to investigate the truth of them further. "When they finally split up, Benezia told Aethyta that I would be better off without in her in my life and as my father became increasingly bitter and angry, she started to believe that it was true. That is why she stayed away for so long and by the time Benezia died, she did not know where to begin with me. She was afraid I would think that she was trying to take advantage of the fame and influence I possessed, especially after the war."

"I told her that I did not believe that and we are going to try to make a fresh start. She wants to be here when our daughter is born, to be a part of her life."

"I'm glad to hear it, Liara. We don't have much family. Besides, we could use a babysitter we can trust."

The asari laughs. "Provided she refrains from teaching her granddaughter to swear like a krogan pirate, I would agree. Now, how was your trip?"

"The students performed well. I'm going to ask Cellia and Elphi to stay on as instructors when they graduate."

"And Rissia?"

"She's probably the most skilled of the three, but she doesn't have the personality for teaching. I think she'd be better off going back to special forces. It wouldn't surprise me if she became a Specter some day."

Liara nods. "What about Kelly?" It worries the asari that Shepard has been putting off the topic.

A sigh escapes her wife's lips. "I don't know. When you first told me where she was, it was easy to imagine the worst case scenarios. I mean, Omega, you imagine her face down in a gutter or enslaved in a brothel or some other terrible thing. It wasn't like that. She was safe, working at Mordin's old clinic, but when I saw her, she was so damaged. Not just from the things that happened to her, but she had all of this guilt. She thought, god, she thought we hated her for leaving the _Normandy_."

Liara slides over, running a wet hand through Ashara's hair. Kelly's survivor's guilt isn't the only regret here. "She was just a damn kid, you know. Just a bubbly face the Illusive Man assigned to the ship because he wanted to put me at ease. She was half in love with me, and so green, and I let her get screwed over pretty thoroughly."

"You saved her from the Collectors." Liara kisses Ashara gently.

"I never should have let her get taken in the first place. Now I'm living in a mansion on Thessia with a beautiful wife and a daughter on the way and she's working in a slum in Omega not sleeping at night."

"I am sorry for her, Ashara, but what happened to her doesn't mean you do not deserve the life we have built together. Her friends can be there for her when she's ready, but Kelly will have to find her own way back, just as you have."

"It's still not fair. After all," Ashara adds with a small smile, "Not everyone gets a Liara to help them out."

Liara laughs. It's progress to see her bondmate's sense of humor reemerge relatively quickly after a bout of guilt. She'd never want Ashara to lose her compassion but she should be allowed to enjoy the happiness she's unquestionably earned. "Well, this one is taken."

She feels Shepard's arms enfold her. "I'm glad to hear it. There is one thing I can do though; get the clinic some extra funding. My cut of the profits from "Commander Shepard: Mako Assault," ought to buy a lot of bandages and medicine.

"I will make the arrangements. You know, Garrus once tried to get me to play that game when he was visiting. I cannot believe he enjoys it. I still shudder every time I think of that tank." Ashara gives her a look. "I know, the experience was a product of its design and the circumstances you had to drive it under, rather then a reflection on your ability at doing so." She pauses for a moment. "For the most part."

Ashara winces in mock pain and laughs. "All right. Fine. I may have taken a 'head-on' approach to some of our missions. But I got us through, didn't I?"

Liara nuzzles further into Shepard's embrace. "You really did, love."

* * *

She always sleeps better when Ashara shares the bed with her, so Liara is enjoying her most restful night in almost a week when she's woken suddenly by Glyph floating into their room. "Doctor T'Soni."

Beside her, her bondmate stirs. "Liara," she mutter groggily into her pillow, "Can I just blast that thing?"

"Perhaps. Let us see what it has to say."

"Doctor, you have a priority call."

"From who?" There are very few people that Glyph is authorized to wake her up for.

"Kasumi Goto." But she's one of them. She's disappeared entirely since the end of the war. Some of Shepard's teammates keep a low profile, but all of the rest of them, even Javik, have been in touch at least a few times. Not Kasumi though, and if she's made contact, that's reason enough for Liara to drag herself out of bed.

Ashara seems to agree because she's pulling on some sweats. "We'll take it in here, Glyph."

"Very well, Commander. I will route the call to Doctor T'Soni's omni-tool."

"Wait, Glyph…" Liara scrambles to throw on her robe, only barely getting it closed before an image of Kasumi pops into existence above her nightstand.

"Hey Shep, Liara."

"Kasumi, do you know what time it is on Thessia?", Ashara grumbles.

"Nah, I was never any good at doing the conversions."

"Fine, whatever. Why exactly have you surfaced after all this time other than to wake my pregnant wife up in the middle of the night?"

"Sorry about that and congratulations by the way. I just thought you might like to know, someone tried to kidnap me."

Kasumi's words seem to banish whatever fatigue Shepard is still feeling. She may be annoyed at the thief, but no one messes with her crew. "What happened?"

"Well, ever since people found out I was in your little club, it's been hard to get work. Too much name recognition for most potential clients, you know. So, I've been trying to stay away, get back to being anonymous, but it's not easy."

"I am sorry that helping to save the galaxy has impinged on your criminal career."

Unlike her wife, Liara is not finding it hard to stay annoyed, but Kasumi blows right past the comment. "Nah, don't mention it. I got paid well to help. But for now I've had to take the jobs I can, and this time it was supposed to be with ExoGeni. Supposedly, they wanted me to do a little corporate espionage, but when I showed up for the meet, it was a kidnapping instead."

"I cannot imagine you are unaccustomed to betrayal in your line of work."

"Betrayal I can deal with. But this time, they didn't wait for me to do the job first before trying to take me out. Instead it was just a bunch of guys, a submission net and some flash-bangs. I'm just lucky they didn't know quite how good I am."

Shepard lets the bragging pass and moves on to the problem at hand. "Do you have any idea what they wanted aside from you?"

"No. Pretty sure I never stole from ExoGeni before. At least nothing that they'd miss enough to go after me like that."

"Shit. Anybody coming for you should know you've got dangerous friends. Which means that either they're really dumb or they're powerful enough to take the risk."

Liara rubs her forehead. Worries of a kind she'd hoped were banished for good are starting to bubble towards the surface. It's been so long since they've had a enemy they really worried about that it's catching her off guard. "Please send me the details and I will see what I can find our for you."

"Will do. And Shep, sorry about not calling. It's just me."

On that enigmatic note, the thief ends the call and Liara turns to her bondmate. "I should get started looking into this. I do not feel like I will have much success in falling back to sleep right now anyway."

She feels a kiss on the top of her crest. "I'll go make you some tea and get myself some coffee. If it's going to be a long night, we'll get through it together."


	26. WTT: Friends and Family

The glass of orange juice is cool in Ashara's hand as she sits on her balcony surveying the horde in the distance. For years, the local government has tried to keep the press away from her home, but the interest surrounding the imminent birth of her daughter has overwhelmed their best efforts. For months, various extranet sites have been doing a brisk business taking bets on what her name will be, and right now, Ashara's convinced that the only thing keeping the host of paparazzi on the other side of the wall isn't basic decency but a state-of-the–art security system.

It's in part because of the intolerable media circus that would ensue at a hospital that they've decided to have the baby at home. Doctor Chakwas has agreed to be the attending physician, bringing along with her from the _Normandy_ a number of their old friends. With Ashley, Tali, and Joker joining Garrus and Aethyta at their house, Ashara has had her hands full playing hostess while the doctor goes over some final preparations with her bondmate.

Though she'd wanted a few minutes respite, she's still pleased when she hears the unmistakable sound of Tali walking up behind her, the movement of her suit distinctive to a practiced observer. They've spoken a number of times by comm since her break-up with Garrus but this is Ashara's first chance to talk with the quarian alone and in person in quite some time.

"Tali. How're you doing?"

"Not bad, Shepard. It's a little difficult seeing Garrus again, but I wouldn't have missed this for anything."

"I'm glad you could come. You and Ash are like family to us."

"What about Joker?"

"Well, he's more like the uncle who won't stop telling embarrassing stories at dinner." Apparently, that concept transcends species because Tali laughs long and hard. "He seems better then the last time I saw him. A bit more sociable and a bit less angry at everything." It's a change she's glad to see. Over and above the concern she still has for all of her former crewmembers, she feels particularly responsible for Jeff because of her role in EDI's death.

"Ashley told me that there is a human saying: 'Time heals all wounds.' I think it has healed at least some of his."

"What about yours?"

"They do not sting as much as they used to."

"I'm glad to hear it. That first breakup, it's always hard. You feel like it'll never get better until finally it does."

Tali sighs beneath her mask. "It is hard though, to move on, to find somebody else. For a quarian, your ship is your world. And the _Normandy_… how can anyone who wasn't there know what it was like?"

Ashara shakes her head. "I'm not sure they can." It's part of why, despite the different roads many of them have travelled, her crew still feels like a family. That sense of a bond that can't be replicated is a powerful thing.

Tali looks away from her, out over the horizon. "I was always jealous of you and Liara. Of what you had with someone who understood what you'd been through. I think that's why I let Garrus fool me. I wanted the same thing."

"He didn't mean to hurt you, you know. He still feels like crap about how things turned out."

"Good. He should."

"I thought you were feeling less angry?"

"I am. The first few months, I spent my time planning how to plant explosives under his car." Ashara laughs in sympathy and Tali turns her gaze back to the distance, trying to explain her feelings. "When I came to the _Normandy_, I felt so young. You, and Garrus, and Wrex, you were all so much more experienced and even though you made me feel at home, I felt like I was faking it, that I was pretending that I belonged. I had to work really hard to get past that and when I realized that Garrus had been humoring me, I went back to being that overwhelmed kid again."

"Anything I can do to help the healing process along?"

"You can tell me what's going on with Jack and Miranda. I talked to Samara after the funeral and she thought something was up with the two of them."

Ah, there's incorrigible gossip she knows so well. "It's definitely something but I'm not totally sure what." To be fair, since a call with Miranda two months ago that was somewhere between awkward and hilarious, Ashara's not sure either of the two principals knows what's going on either. "They like each other, they hate each other, who the hell knows… There's an Alliance conference on new developments in the use of biotics in combat next month they're both going to be at. Maybe things will be clearer after that."

"You can't give me more details? Tease," the quarian sulks.

"Sorry, Tali. If it'll make you feel better, I can tell you the name Liara and I have picked out for the baby."

The quarian immediately brightens up. "Ooh. Go on."

"It's going to be Moira. Moira Shepard T'Soni." In asari culture, daughters take their mother's last names, with their father's names sometimes being used as a middle name. "It's a human name, but it sounds pretty asari as well. All the vowels, I think. And it's also for Mordin." She's lost so many friends; more than she's likely to ever have children, but she's glad to be able to honor at least one of them in this way.

The outline of a smile is visible beneath Tali's mask. "That's nice. He was a good friend. I wish I'd had more time with him."

"So do I." With his numerous interests and philosophical outlook on life, Ashara suspects he would have adapted to peace better than many.

Off in the distance, she hears the sounds of bickering. "Anyway, I should go," she tells the quarian. "Someone needs to make sure Joker and Aethyta don't kill each other."

* * *

"So, I'm just saying, doesn't the actress in 'Shepard Does Illium,' really look a lot like her? I mean, sure, the commander probably didn't defeat the Eclipse sisters by fucking them into exhaustion, but what do I know? I wasn't there."

There's a crackle of biotic energy followed by a yelp of pain from Joker. "Hey, what was that for?"

"For perving on the father of my granddaughter."

"But you were the one who was comparing her breasts with Captain Williams'."

"That's different. I'm family."

Oh yeah, that's definitely a conversation Ashara wants to be a part of. Why doesn't she go see what someone else is up to.

* * *

"It's your call Garrus. She's still ticked at you, but not homicidal."

The turian chuckles grimly. "Best I can hope for I guess, Shepard."

As he leaves the sitting room, Ashley pours herself a drink and takes a seat next to her old commander. Tali's presence in her crew and her close relationship with the quarian have made her a member of "Team Tali" in the break-up, but she'd definitely be happy to see her two old friends bury the hatchet.

"Sorry about the drama, skipper. I left most of the crew on shore leave back in the city, but Tali and Joker insisted…"

"Don't worry about it, Ash. I'm glad to have you guys here. Truth is, I can use the distraction. Considering some of the things we've been through, I'd be lying if I said I'd never been this nervous, but it's been a while."

"Aw, you'll be a great dad, Shepard." When Shepard first became involved with Liara what felt like a lifetime ago, it hadn't sat right with Ashley. She didn't quite trust the asari and something about the first human Specter dating an alien… Jesus, she'd been an idiot back then. Now, she can't imagine Shepard with anyone else, and she's thrilled for both of them.

"Thanks. You know me though… I want everything to go right."

"So, what are little asari like anyway?"

"Apparently, somewhat less rambunctious than humans, according to the books I've read. Good thing I guess, since their childhoods last for decades. I mean, asari kids can still be a handful, but we humans have something of a bad reputation on that score. Still better than the krogan at least."

"Poor Wrex. Just how many does he have at this point?" The thought of the old warrior chasing a horde of small krogan around the house brings a smile to her lips.

"Hey, he's the one who wanted a Genophage cure. He could have made a deal for something else."

"Maybe eggs and sausage." Shepard chuckles and Ashley figures this is as good a time as can be found on such a day to bring up a more serious topic. "Listen, Shepard. Can we talk work for a minute?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Do you know anything more about this attack on Kasumi? I appreciated the heads-up after it happened but has there been any new information?"

Shepard shakes her head. "Not much. Kasumi didn't know any of her attackers. The fence who set up the meeting swore to her that their corporate credentials were good, but we can't get any more details from him because he turned up shot in the head after the attack. Meanwhile, ExoGeni claims they don't know anything and from what Liara's sources tell her, that's the truth. Plus, nobody we've talked to can figure out a clear motive. I mean, maybe somebody she stole from carried a grudge, but who's pissed off enough to risk bringing all of us down on their heads?"

"I don't know." Ashley can see the concern in Shepard's eyes about this mysterious threat and she feels lousy. She didn't mean to worry her friend today of all days. "Let me help; see if another Specter can't shake something loose."

"Thanks, Ash."

"Hey, speaking of new developments, I've got some good news for you." Ashley's not exactly looking forward to this conversation, but it'll change the topic and besides, Tali can't keep her secret forever. She loves the quarian like a sister but she leaks gossip from every port on her suit.

"Really? What is it?"

"I've been seeing someone."

Shepard smiles at her. The commander has been on her case intermittently to try and have more of a personal life. "That's great. Who is it? Anyone I know?"

"I don't think so. His name is Michael Bennet. He was in one of the N-7 units during the war and before that," she pauses, dreading saying the words, "He defected from Cerberus."

For an instant, Ashley almost worries Shepard might pass out from laughing so hard. Then, she kind of wishes she would. "Really? He was with Cerberus? Because a Specter once told me that you can't trust those ex-Cerberus types. You never really know where their loyalties lie."

Ashley winces but she can't say she didn't earn it. Shepard forgave her a long time ago for mistrusting her after the commander came back from the dead, but this news is just asking for some ribbing. "Go on, ma'am. Get it all out of your system."

"Are you sure he's not a husk? You need to check for that sort of thing."

"Anything else?"

"Does he have an evil clone?" Shepard brushes a tear from her eye. "No, seriously, Ashley, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, skipper. So we met…"

Before she can continue, Doctor Chakwas walks into the room. "Shepard, we're ready."

* * *

**If you missed the brick joke about eggs and sausage, refer back to chapter 8. I should apologize for my sometimes questionable sense of humor, but really, I think the problem may be hereditary. Wait until you see the bad pun I have for the next chapter title.**


	27. WTT: A Different Kind of Arrival

He finds Tali standing on the balcony, just staring out at the crimson sky that is sunset on Thessia. Behind her, in the distance, he can see the encamped paparazzi, and out of force of habit, he starts calculating the best firing angles. "Think anyone would complain if I just picked off a couple of them?"

She turns around. "Vakarian." He'd hoped for a laugh. It's so hard to read her expressions through that mask that when she keeps her voice emotionless, he can't tell what she's thinking.

"Did Shepard send you out here?"

"No. She just told me where to find you, that's all."

"Was it her that you really wanted? The way you ran here afterwards… you know it could never happen, right?"

Spirits, there's so much anger in her. "That wasn't it." It really wasn't. Shepard is his closest friend, but he's never thought of her like that. Even if she hadn't been in love with Liara almost as long as he's known her, humans aren't his thing. "She didn't have anything to do with what happened to us."

"Then what was it? Was I not good enough for you?"

He wishes he had an answer that made logical sense. Even more, he wishes he could have felt more than he did. Desire doesn't work that way, though. "No, Tali. You're great. It was my fault."

She pauses. "But why? Why did you say yes to me if you didn't… if you weren't in love with me."

At least she's giving him a chance to explain. She'd stormed out so abruptly on Palaven. "Because I cared. I liked you so much as a friend and I wanted you to be happy. Besides, I thought that maybe my feelings would grow over time, and even if they didn't, it probably didn't matter anyway, because we were all likely to be dead soon."

Finally, Tali laughs a little. He's missed that sound. "Serves you right, you bosh'tet, for betting against Shepard."

"I guess it does." She doesn't say anything, and so he continues. "Afterwards, when we survived, things were so screwed up. We crashed on that planet, EDI was dead, we thought Shepard was too, then she was alive and we had to repair the relay… there wasn't really a chance to think things through. By the time I realized it wasn't going to work, I didn't know how to tell you that."

Tali crosses her arms. "You really are thick-headed." There's less malice in her words than before though and Garrus feels a trace of optimism.

"Hey, my thick skull is the only reason I'm still alive." She laughs again, slightly. "I'm sorry. I wanted you to be happy but you deserved somebody who wanted you." He's not sure what else he can say.

"I know you are. And… thank you for saying it. Garrus… you're like family to me. You, and Shepard, and Liara, and Ashley, you're almost the only people I have left and I don't want to lose you. Even if you are a big idiot."

He can deal with being a big idiot. It would hardly be the first time. "Hey, what's family for if not screwing things up?"

She extends a gloved hand to the turian. "Friends?"

That simple gesture means a great deal to him. Tali's not the only one who doesn't have enough people in her life that she's close to, and he'd never have forgiven himself it he lost her for good. "Of course," he tells her with a smile, "Always."

* * *

When Ashara walks in with Doctor Chakwas, she finds her wife already lying in bed wearing only a thin asari birthing robe made of blue silk. They've set up one of the guest rooms for the delivery, with a little crib, a table of medical supplies, and a cushioned chair positioned next to the bed.

"Are you sure you're ready, my beloved Liara?" Much as asari can chose when to conceive, they can also decide when to induce labor once they've reached an appropriate point in their pregnancy.

"I am." Liara's smile is so full of love that Ashara has to fight back tears of happiness. The journey to this moment has been beyond belief and to have it almost here is slightly overwhelming.

Doctor Chakwas seems pleased too, explaining in her typically restrained voice, "I feel as if I'm going to be a grandmother."

"We really appreciate this, doc."

"It is my honor that you two chose me."

Shepard sits next to Liara's bedside and takes a blue hand firmly in her own. "I'm good whenever you are."

"You know that you do not have to do this, Ashara."

"Liara, don't worry. I told you I would. I want to share everything with you and god knows I've been through worse pain."

The asari nods, and her eyes flash to black, her mind smoothly entering Ashara's receptive one. Joining with an unfamiliar person, especially one with a strong will, is a strain, but the more often an asari melds with a willing partner, the easier it becomes. With a bondmate, such unions can be a source of strength, a way of sharing burdens and pains as well as pleasure and joy.

As their minds settle in together, love and anticipation are the primary emotions Ashara can sense in her wife, but there's also a hint of nervousness and she tries to soothe her. "I'm here. I'll always be here."

"I know." Ashara feels her relax, her wife's gratitude for this moment together mirroring Shepard's own. "Give me a moment to begin." Liara's concentration turns inward and there's a change in her breathing as contractions begin within the asari's body. Distantly, Ashara can hear Doctor Chakwas moving, administering a drug to facilitate dilation. Liara is still young to have daughters and while they've been assured that everything should still be fine, medical help is indicated.

Waves of pain start to pass through Liara and Ashara grips her hand more tightly, whispering reassurances in her bondmate's mind as she accepts her share of the discomfort. She can't control the meld the way an asari can, but over the years, Shepard has learned how to influence it, bringing pleasant memories of their time together into her thoughts so that Liara can share in them.

…That day, battling through the mines of Therum, she hadn't known whether to expect Benezia's daughter to be an ally or an enemy. Yet, when she'd seen her hanging there in the stasis field, she'd looked so lovely despite her distress that Ashara's heart had leapt in her chest as soon as she'd laid eyes on her…

…When she walked into Liara's office on Illium, she had been so nervous. Ashley's rejection on Horizon had hurt badly enough, but if Liara reacted the same way, she didn't know what she'd do. Instead, when the asari had turned around, there had been such enthusiasm and affection in her smile, and when they kissed, Ashara felt more alive than in any moment since she'd woken up on the Lazarus station…

"You're doing great, beloved." Each time the asari pushes, a lance of pain runs though her, and Shepard picks out more happy moments. Liara's contractions are starting to come more frequently now, and Ashara feels the strain in her wife's body almost as if it was her own, but the loving memories help to keep their minds off of the hurt.

…As the lightning storm cleared from the room, Liara helped her to her feet. Looking up at the information broker, Ashara saw her as she never had before. The way that she had cracked the Shadow Broker's arrogant façade and then destroyed him had been truly impressive and more than ever, she hoped she would be able to be with her again…

…Standing in front of the make-shift alter the crew had constructed in the shuttle bay of the _Normandy_, looking at Liara walking towards her in her blue and white gown, Ashara could hardly believe her good fortune. So many times, she'd prayed for just one more night with her lover, and now, she was going to spend the rest of her life with her…

"You're almost there Liara. Just keep pushing." Doctor Chakwas' voice sounds far away, but it still spurs a further effort from the asari, her hand rigid around her wife's, even as Ashara feels the painful stretching in her own body.

Liara cries out, straining with every ounce of strength she has, and then, at last there's a relaxation of her inner muscles, a feeling of relief that even through the bond is powerful enough to consume Ashara's thoughts for a long moment. Liara's hand loosens it's grip and as her mind slowly untwines from Ashara's, the words, "Thank you, love," are left behind in a final echo.

The world returns and when Shepard looks up, Doctor Chakwas is holding up a little blue person that Ashara already loves so very much. Her skin is just slightly darker than her mother's, her eyes are the blue-green of the sea, and as she listens to her first cries, Shepard can only think how completely, exactly right all of this is. Liara reaches out to take the newborn into her arms, and as she cradles her, she turns to Ashara and whispers, "Our daughter."

"Moira." Ashara bends over and kisses the baby gently on her tiny forehead before planting a longer, deeper one on her wife's lips. In that blissful moment, next to her wife and daughter, in a house filled with her friends, all of the pain and the sacrifices that she's endured feel absolutely worth it.


	28. WTT: You Never Forget How

Shepard rarely goes shopping of late. She and Liara can afford to order in whatever they need, and even though they've cut back on their work schedules so that they can spend more time together with Moira, a baby ensures that free time remains in short supply.

Despite that, on this particular warm Thessian night, she's made a detour on her way home from an unusually late day at the academy to the grocery store. While human women experience most of their unusual food cravings during pregnancy, asari sometimes get them afterwards, as their bodies try to replace expended nutrients, and a call from Liara has sent Shepard in search of…

What is it she's looking for, anyway? Ah, yes, Fasi berries and chocolate, that's it. Though she does have to scour the alien food aisle for the later, it's not exactly the Conduit in terms of the difficulty of the locating it, and helpfully, there are a lot fewer hostile Geth shooting at her while she looks.

When she gets to the register, the bored, teal-skinned maiden behind the counter practically faints from shock when she realizes who her customer is, and Ashara heads out into the parking lot chuckling. Absently-mindedly, she starts to sing a marine marching song to herself.

"First from the ships, first down the lifts…" She's off-key; out of practice she supposes. Before Moira was born, Liara had been practicing the piano in her spare time, and Ashara was enjoying singing along with her. Lately, though, they've rarely had the time. Still, she wouldn't trade her life right now for anything. To have her wonderful daughter, this new life born free from the shadows of war and death, to know that she and Liara brought her into being… it really is amazing.

She's almost to the car when she realizes that something is out of the ordinary; there's a pair of humans walking in the same general direction as her. Both men are wearing long, dark coats in spite of the heat, which would be unusual enough anywhere, but this is Thessia. Most of the humans here are like her; bonded to an asari, and so while one is only slightly uncommon, two together are a genuine oddity.

And then, in the dim lighting of the parking lot, she sees it . Flashes of metal are emerging from their jackets, arms are being raised in her direction. It happens quickly, but Ashara has seen that motion far too many times to mistake the sight of pistols being drawn.

Realizing they've been detected, the two men abandon their efforts to close further with her and cracks of gunfire shatter the calm evening, a hail of shots unleashed indiscriminately in her direction. Instincts honed over many years don't fail her though, and the projectiles are met by a glimmering barrier of biotic energy.

Ashara winces slightly, dropping her grocery bag, as the attacks impact the shield, but it's no worse than uncomfortable. The guns are light weapons designed more for stealth than for power, and her fields have been honed under the focused fire of Geth Primes and Atlas mechs. This is little more than a slap compared with what those foes were capable of.

Her hand goes to her hip. She's hardly in full gear, but she rarely travels anywhere without her trusty Paladin, an ingrained soldier's habit that she's exceedingly grateful for in that moment. The attackers are pausing to reload, but before they can, two shots from her heavy pistol slam into the first of them. He crumples to the ground, holes blown through whatever inadequate protection he's wearing.

The second shooter hurls himself behind a crimson skycar and Ashara takes the opportunity to call out to him. "Who the hell are you," she demands, what Liara calls her "Commander Shepard" voice in full effect. When there's no reply, she continues, "Toss down the weapon now and…"

She never gets a chance to finish her sentence. With a glassy look in his eyes, the man leaps atop the car, firing his pistol wildly. A bullet glances off of her barrier, barely altering her stance, and a single, well-aimed shot catches him squarely between the eyes. His corpse slams onto the hood, and the wailing sound of the car alarm fills the silence left behind by the end of the brief battle.

Ashara takes a deep breath. The fight itself was nothing challenging, her attackers laughably easy to defeat compared with the skilled asari soldiers she trains. Despite that, this was still different. Though her job may keep her in practice, sparing isn't the same as actual combat. It's been more than five years since she took a life, since she looked down and saw bloodied corpses, knowing that she was responsible for their condition.

A part of her feels like she should be more upset right now. She's believed that her killing days were behind her, and she wonders if the fact that they aren't should be troubling her more than it is. Certainly, she had all the justification in the galaxy for defending herself, but still. She wonders what Liara will make of all of this…

Liara! A sudden shiver of fear sweeps through Ashara, chilling her despite the warmth of the night. If people have come for her, what about Liara? What about Moira? She fights the feeling down as she places a call to her wife on her omni-tool, telling herself that Liara is highly capable, that they have excellent security systems, that surely they've handled worse than whatever this idiocy is. Still, when the seconds begin to pass and the call goes unanswered, it's hard to keep terrible thoughts out of her mind. "Come on, Liara, pick up," she whispers frantically, knowing that her heart won't start beating properly again until she hears her bondmate's voice.

* * *

Liara is just tucking Moira into her crib when her omni-tool begins to vibrate against her wrist. She has the sound turned down for precisely such eventualities, and she ignores the call for now, kissing the tiny asari goodnight before turning out the lights and closing the door to her nursery.

Her beautiful daughter, she thinks. Her daughter with Ashara. Sometimes she still has to remind herself that it's real, that the future they wanted for so long truly has come into existence. Her wrist buzzes again, and looking down, she sees that the call is from her wife. A loving smile appears on her lips and she answers. "Ashara. I was just…."

Her words die in her throat as Shepard's image appears in front of her. Her wife's pistol is in her hand and fear is etched on her face, only slowly ebbing as she begins to speak. "Liara! Oh, thank god! Are you and Moira okay?"

"We are fine, Ashara. What is wrong?"

"Someone just tried to kill me."

In a moment of panic Liara re-assesses the image in front of her, looking for any signs of injury, but to her relief, she doesn't see any. "Are you all right, love?"

"I'm fine, it was just two guys, but I'm worried that it might be part of a bigger move." Liara can see Shepard's expression moving closer to being normal, but she still sounds concerned. "I'm sending you my current location. Make sure you two are safe and then call the authorities and tell them to get over there. I'm on my way home just in case."

* * *

Fifteen minutes of the sort of driving she's trying to not engage in anymore later, Shepard's skycar pulls into her garage. Arriving there, she's met by her bondmate, a dark blue robe pulled over her nightgown and an expression of obvious distress on her lovely face. As she gets out of the car, Liara pulls her close, kissing her with a force born of relief, and Shepard feels the tell-tale bulge of a pistol in her pocket. "Ashara. Thank the Goddess you are safe."

She runs her hands over the asari's back, feeling her in her arms, warm and present. She knew she was all right from the call, but the physical reminder is still important to Shepard. "I am. Is everything still normal here?"

"It is. I ran security scans of the estate. Everything is as it should be."

"And Moira?"

"Sleeping peacefully upstairs, love."

Good, she thinks. Let her daughter rest. She doesn't need to be dragged into whatever madness this is. "So, what the hell was this then? Two lightly armed humans tried to shoot me in a grocery store parking lot. Does that make sense to you?"

Liara smiles, clearly trying to lessen the tension Ashara is feeling. "Certainly, that seems grossly inadequate to defeat the great Commander Shepard."

"Yeah," she agrees, but even as she grins slightly at her wife's compliment, her mind is racing, trying to get the bottom of what just happened. "Frankly, the whole thing was amateurish. I'd write it off as random lunatics, except… the attackers were human. What the hell were two humans doing on Thessia and how did they know where I was going to be? Something isn't right here."

"That may be. Perhaps the police will discover more. I spoke with them shortly before you arrived and they have found the bodies. A detective will be here soon to talk with you and afterwards, we can begin our own inquiries." Ashara nods, Liara's calm tone helping to settle her mind. Her wife brushes a hand delicately over her cheek. "In the meantime, are you feeling all right, Ashara? I know that it has been a long time since you were in battle…"

"And since I killed anyone. I'm fine." Now that she knows her family is safe, she feels surprisingly okay, considering. "It comes back so quickly… The things I've tried to stop doing, should it be so easy to do them again?"

"You told me when Aethya approached you about this job that being a soldier was a part of who you are. I think that perhaps you will always be able to do those things, even if you chose not to do so on a regular basis."

Ashara smiles wearily. "It's probably just as well. Even if I'm retired from the Alliance, I don't think I'd feel comfortable if I couldn't still take care of myself."

Liara gives her a gentle kiss. "Of that love, there is little danger."

* * *

**So, I'd like to make a request of you, valued readers. For an upcoming chapter, I need the names of a fake porn vid or two that stars a Shepard imposter. Please leave your suggestions for titles in the reviews or PM them to me, and the best (or worst) will appear in the story. Thanks for your help and I hope you keep enjoying this.**


	29. WTT: The Things That Matter

Five months earlier…

"So." Slowly sipping her coffee, Miranda stares at Jack across the café table. The ex-convict looks surprisingly respectable in her Alliance uniform and Miranda's trying to stop herself from being distracted by thoughts of peeling the shorter woman out of it. "Don't you think there's something we should talk about?"

"Hey, you were the one who scheduled this little mid-day meeting. I would've been perfectly happy checking out new biotic amps." She laughs. "You know, stealing shit kinda loses its appeal when I can just get the Alliance to pay for it instead."

Expensing biotic amps. Miranda shakes her head. Jack's changed so much from the woman Shepard let out of cryonic freeze six years ago and it's time to find out just how far that growth extends. "Jack, you know very well the reason we need to talk. Lately, every time we meet, you try to get me to sleep with you and then act like it meant nothing."

Jack smirks. "Try to?"

"All right, you succeed in getting me to sleep with you. But my point remains. Not withstanding what you think of me, I can understand the appeal of meaningless sex. But we're at three times now. First at the academy, then after Zaeed's funeral, and now at this conference. The last two times we ended up spending the night together. Now, I will admit that I am no expert on relationships, but that has to have some significance."

"What? I can't just mean that you have a great body and I'm pretty damn good at fucking it?"

"Jack." Miranda gives her the best disapproving look she can muster. In the past that stare stood a pretty good chance of provoking Jack into trying to hit her, but that's the point of employing it here. It says, "I reject your approach. You can either lash out, or try something different," and she wants to see which Jack will chose.

"I dunno what this means, okay. I just… " She picks at her muffin. "I keep thinking about you." There's unease in her voice, a sense that she's far from her comfort zone.

Miranda's natural impulse is to keep pushing her, to exploit the advantage she has right now, but she decides to let it go instead. They've both done that enough. "I think about you too. Look, we don't exactly like each other. We're different in a lot of ways. But I think we get each other and we obviously have some kind of a connection, which is not an easy thing for people like us to find. Half the people who are interested in me just want me for my looks…"

"Real humble there, cheerleader." There's no malice in Jack's taunt though.

"Weren't you the one who said I had a great body?"

"You really do."

"Thank you. And the other half mostly want to hear stories about the great Commander Shepard. You're different. You know all of the bad things I was involved with, and while I can't say that you don't judge me, you're still here."

Jack laughs, but her tone is as much self-effacing as mocking. "And you know what a messed-up bitch I am. So I guess we're even. What exactly are you suggesting then?"

That gives her pause and she takes a bite of her sandwich, chewing to cover her hesitation. Just what is she proposing now that Jack is willing to listen? What does she want?

Her life isn't bad. She and Oriana have stayed close, but though they talk frequently and she's immensely grateful for that, she only sees her a few times a year. Her sister has graduate school, and friends, and boyfriends, and Miranda shouldn't use that relationship as a substitute for a personal life.

She keeps in touch with a few of the old crew: Shepard, Jacob, and Tali of all people. The quarian has proven to be a useful consultant on tech matters. The Leviathan artifact Shepard passed along, the post-mortem analysis of Reaper barriers; her insights into energy field technology are remarkable. But while the job in Alliance R&D and the friends that she has are nice, clearly, Miranda wants more or else she wouldn't be having this uncomfortable conversation.

"I'm not totally sure Jack. You have your life and I have mine. But I think I'd like it if we could try to visit each other from time to time, and perhaps admit that this does mean something. To both of us."

"Hah! You're asking me to go steady like we're a bunch of stupid fucking kids?" For a moment Miranda feels more rejected than she's comfortable with but then Jack's expression softens. "Sorry. Shit. I probably know less about relationships than you and that makes me act like more of a bitch than usual. But I do want to keep doing this, whatever the hell it is."

It's not the most romantic thing Miranda's ever heard, but if she wanted conventional romance, she should've stopped this a long time ago. "Fair enough. Now, what do you say we finish our lunch, go back to my hotel room and celebrate our new understanding. I still have a couple of hours before the barrier demonstration."

Jack licks her lips. "Sure thing. This time though," she cocks her head suggestively, "It's my turn to wear it."

Miranda blushes, but her face isn't the only part of her body she can feel starting to respond. Life is not bad at all.

* * *

The spaceport lounge on Palaven buzzes around him, thousands of beings from a dozen or more species scurrying to make their flights, but Javik is calm, feeling the peace that comes from having reached the end of a very different kind of journey. It's taken him five long years, but at last, he has found the answer to his question. He knows why it is that his cycle failed against the Reapers and this one succeeded.

His first thoughts had been self-serving ways of gratifying his pride. Victory came because the Protheans had disabled the Keeper signal, which bought time to prepare for the Reaper attack that his people had not had. And yet, that answer proved insufficient. The foolish leaders of this cycle had largely ignored Shepard's warnings and wasted most of the time her admittedly impressive struggles had bought them.

True, her asari had used the extra years to find the Crucible blueprints on Mars, without which there would not have been success. But even after the Reapers devastating attack on the Citadel in his cycle, his people had controlled more worlds, commanded more warships, and possessed more sophisticated technology than these primitives. Why had they failed?

He has spent these last five years searching for the answer to that question. He spoke to soldiers and survivors, visited all that his people left behind, and studied what he could find about Shepard and the _Normandy_, who had been at the heart of the victory and he has an answer: motivation.

That notion would have seemed ridiculous to him when he began his quest for understanding. A prothean warrior was trained to do anything for the empire. They would kill without hesitation, die without fear, and surrender all that they had at their superior's command. By contrast, these primitives are undisciplined, unruly, and at times afraid. Motivation was, he would have said, one of the many advantages that his people possessed, not the reason for their failure.

He would have been wrong. There were, he now realized, limits to the dedication his people possessed. After you left your family, gave up hope of finding love, and sacrificed your honor, death was no longer to be feared. Instead, it became a relief, a release from the burdens of life. Prothean soldiers would give everything that they had, but once that was gone, they would die.

Time and again, the people of this cycle had done more than that. They had gone beyond what was possible, and to do that required a more compelling reason than hopeless duty. The stories that he's heard have convinced him of that. The turian soldier who fought across broken ground through dozens of husks while carrying his wounded squad-mate to safety. The asari huntress and her krogan bondmate who slew a score of Brutes to rescue their stranded daughter. The out-gunned, out-numbered human colonists who drove Cerberus off of Eden Prime.

And of course there's Shepard. He has no doubt that she would have given her life for her duty. But for her crew, for the asari… no, for Liara, he reminds himself. She deserves that much respect. For them, she gave more. She gave them victory when he had not believed in it. He expected that he would kill as many of the Reapers as he could and then he would die. But why should he have believed in more? What did he have to live for?

That question he's still looking for the answer to. He doesn't expect that he'll find it back on Thessia with Shepard and Liara, but he still owes it to them to fulfill his promise to help the archeologist write her book. As for the rest, at least he knows to look…

"Next on Galactic Arts Now: The all-Hanar production of _Macbeth_. A bold variation on a classic human play or an cheap stunt attempting to capitalize on the popularity of Elcor _Hamlet_. "By the pricking of this one's thumbs…"

Suddenly, the inane blather coming from the Hanar on the vid screen above Javik is cut off, and a somber-looking turian appears seated behind a desk. "We interrupt your regularly-scheduled broadcast to bring you this special report from Thessia, where sources are reporting that there has been an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Commander Shepard. I'm told we're now going live to Alia Sarai, who's outside the beloved war hero's house…"

In spite of the troubling news, a small smile crosses Javik's grey lips. This visit may turn out to be a good deal more interesting than the fulfillment of an obligation.


	30. WTT: Visits

"So, you're telling me that these two idiots had nothing on them but forged identification cards, a few credits, and the guns they shot at me with. You don't know where they came from, why they tried to kill me, or how they followed my car. Does that about sum up the current situation?"

Liara understands her bondmate's irritation at the lack of progress, but she still fells a bit bad for Detective Belaya. Shepard's reputation can make her fairly intimidating to people who don't know her under ordinary circumstances, but usually, she does her best to put them at ease. Right now, Liara's impressed that the purple-skinned asari police investigator doesn't crawl under a rock and hide.

"Well, ma'am, we do know a little bit. We've been able to determine that both men entered Thessia using the forged identity cards two days ago on a ship that had passed through a number of the Terminus systems. Out there though, it's difficult to access reliable information, especially since the war, and given that the cards were fakes, it's going to be hard to determine who the men they really were."

Shepard shakes her head before sitting down on her couch next to Liara. "I guess it's a start. Listen, I'm going to look into this further on my own. Please send copies all of the records of your investigation to Liara."

The detective swallows, clearly caught in difficult situation. "Listen," she begins, "I have the utmost respect for you and what you did for the galaxy, but there are rules. This is a police matter, and, um, you're not with the police."

Liara fixes her with an icy stare. Her anger is much more likely than her wife's to run cold, especially with strangers. "Detective, if it would make you feel better, I can call Councilor Tevos and get her authorization for the records to be sent to us."

Belaya sighs, resigning herself to defeat. "No, Doctor T'Soni. That won't be necessary. I'll have them sent over to you immediately."

"Thank you." Liara rewards her cooperation with a small smile. "Is there anything else you wanted to let us know?"

"No, that's all. I'll see myself out."

When she's gone, Shepard turns towards Liara. "This still doesn't feel right, does it?"

"No, love, it does not. We have both had enough dealings with assassins to know that in many respects, this attack seems like the work of professionals. They followed you, they struck in an isolated place, and they carried nothing to identify themselves in case they failed."

"Except if they were pros, then why was the attack itself so incompetent? Two guys with light pistols against a former Specter?"

"Against you." She kisses her bondmate on the cheek. "I don't know, and that makes me worry that there is a larger picture we're not seeing."

Ashara wraps her arms around her. "We'll figure it out. After all, you 'a very good information broker.'"

Liara purrs as she feels Shepard's face nuzzle the top of her crest. "You say the sweetest things, Ashara." Even though all she wants in that moment is to lose herself in the comfort of her wife's embrace, she pulls away. "But I should get to work. Tracking these men through the Terminus Systems should be possible, but it will not be easy."

Her bondmate nods in understanding, but as Shepard heads upstairs to check on Moira while Liara makes her way to her office, the asari still feels uneasy. They're not supposed to be doing this anymore, not supposed to be putting their lives on hold to deal with people trying to kill them. She tries to tell herself that whatever this turns out to be, surely they must have come through worse already. Saren, the Collectors, the Reapers: who could possibly be trying to murder Ashara that would be more dangerous than them?

And yet, it she came so close to losing her bondmate so many times. What if their luck runs out? No matter what it takes, she resolves silently, she will not let that happen. They have fought too hard for their happiness to let anyone take it away from them now.

* * *

Javik may have come to a deeper understanding of this cycle, but many of its aspects still remain mysterious to him. High on the list of such puzzles is it's baffling tolerance of reporters, a horde of whom beset the last prothean the moment he exits his sky-cab outside the estate belonging to Shepard and Liara. The experience is only slightly less oppressive than being swarmed by husks and Javik wishes it were acceptable to toss a biotic grenade in their midst as well.

"Commander Javik, "Faustius Marinus, _Palaven Chronicle_. Is your presence today connected with the attempt on Commander Shepard's life?"

"Commander Javik, Aillia Frie, _Thessia Today_. Is there any truth to the rumor that you're here to replace Garrus Vakarain at the Talon Five Academy?"

He ignores the initial inanities, but that doesn't stop them from coming.

"Javik, Thalia Gevros, _Galactic Beat_. Would you care to comment on the reports that you've been ducking a lawsuit filed by Kajio, the Hanar best know for playing Blasto. He claims you assaulted him during…"

Enough of this. Javik turns to the reporter, flashing the asari a smile as sharp as a razor. "I do not waste my time dealing with such foolishness. However, if any of you are interested is seeing what the jellyfish is complaining about, I would be happy to demonstrate."

The crowd parts in fear, and Javik is able to make his way to the gate without further obstructions. "Commander," he says into the irritatingly primitive intercom.

"Javik!" The human recognizes his voice and sounds pleased to see him. Good. There are few who's opinions concern him, but she's one of them and he was concerned she might have taken offense at his long absence. The gate opens and Javik starts down the path towards her house. A few of the reporters contemplate sneaking in behind him, but a disapproving glare accompanied by the sight of the particle rifle on his back quells such thoughts.

The red sun of Thessia is bright in the sky overhead as he walks down the path to his former commander's house, and he notes approvingly that the sight lines from there to the gate are excellent. The open grounds form an effective kill-zone, although he might advise Shepard to cut down some of these fruits trees in order to eliminate possible cover for enemy infiltrators…

He stops his train of thought there. Of late, he's trying to be able to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of a location, and not just it's tactical ones, and this place merits such consideration. The green expanse of the lawns, the gentle swaying of the trees in the morning breeze, the light on the small pond, have a value beyond the martial. They are soothing, and while being soothed is not something that Javik has generally desired, he can understand why Shepard might enjoy living here.

* * *

Throwing open the door, Ashara grabs the prothean's hand and shakes it while she pulls him past the threshold. He looks slightly taken aback, and she can't resist a small dig. "Javik. Still getting used to 'the peculiar greeting customs of this cycle.'' She lowers her voice as she says the last part, and her old squad-mate's normally impassive face betrays a hint of amusement.

"Commander. It is good to see you once again."

She laughs. "It's good to see you too. We just got the message you were on your way. As you can probably tell, things have been a little crazy around here."

"Indeed. When I decided to come here, I had planned to help Liara with her book on my people, but it appears you may have greater need of my other talents."

They may indeed. Shortly after Moira was born, Garrus ended his stint at the academy and took a job heading up turian pirate suppression operations in the Terminus systems. Doubtless he'd come back if she asked as would Ashley, but Ashara's glad to have another person here she can count on close at hand. "We'll see. Liara's squeezing some old contacts, looking for leads. When she's done with her calls, maybe we'll know more. For now, the baby's sleeping so it's just you and me. You want a drink or anything?"

The prothean shakes his head and together they walk into the living room. She notes that he's still wearing his trademark red armor, a marked contrast to the tan slacks and loose blue shirt she has on. As he takes a seat in an armchair while she stretches out on the couch, she's reminded of the party on the Citadel shortly before the end of the war. He'd been ill-at-ease then, seeming out of place in casual surroundings and mostly watching the proceeding with a detached contempt. She feels that despite the armor, his bearing is a bit more comfortable now.

"So, how have you been?"

"Well enough. I have spent my time attempting to gain greater insight into this cycle and I believe that I owe you an apology."

Well, that's interesting. "For what?"

"I should not have disparaged your relationship with Doctor T'Soni. I realize now that it was a source of strength, not weakness."

She smiles. That, she could have told him. "No worries."

"About what, love?" Liara comes into view, followed by Glyph. "Hello, Javik."

Ashara laughs, standing up to give her wife a quick kiss. "He was just letting me know that despite what he used to say, you weren't really a liability."

"I am glad to hear that. But in case he requires further proof, I've located some additional information on your attackers."

"See? I knew you'd come through." She adds another kiss to show her appreciation, and Javik looks slightly uncomfortable. "What've you got?"

"The two would-be assassins embarked at Illium. I do not yet know their real names, but the autopsy photos reveal that both of them had this tattoo on their arms, which I have discovered the significance of." She gestures and Glyph projects an image of a highly stylized squid. A squid or… "It is the mark of a Reaper cult called the Harbingers of the Ascension."

"A Reaper cult?" Javik is incredulous. "I had believed that when the commander destroyed those abominable machines, it broke the grip of indoctrination on their victims."

Liara shakes her head. "It did. These individuals have embraced this delusional faith of their own accord. They believe that the Reapers were meant to transform us into higher beings much like themselves. They claim that they left because our fighting against them proved us unworthy and that they are not destroyed for good but will return when we atone for our sins."

Ashara sighs deeply. It's hard to believe that anyone could be that stupid, but she's learned never to underestimate that particular capacity of sentient beings. "I'm guessing these guys don't think very much of me."

"No, they do not. They are not open about their beliefs for obvious reasons, but from what I could discern, they view you as a demonic figure."

She laughs, half in amusement, half in disgust. "Charming. Still doesn't explain why they sent such a weak force to kill me. Doesn't the devil merit more than two guys?"

"Indeed," Javik concurs, "When I heard about this incident, I thought it an insult that so few were sent to kill a warrior of your stature."

Liara seems to weigh several possibilities. "It could have been fanaticism and overconfidence. On the other hand, it could also be part of a more complicated game."

"Either way, I need to know more. Illium, huh? Do the local authorities have anything for us?"

"I am afraid not. While they seem willing to cooperate, the group is highly secretive and until now, non-violent."

"All right then, I'll go there and look into it. Who do we know on Illium that we can trust?"

Liara thinks for a moment. "I have a few old contacts from my days living there, but I believe the most reliable person available is Samantha Traynor."

Javik frowns. "I did not like that human. She always looked at me oddly."

"Me too," Ashara chuckles. 'Though I suspect for a very different reason."

* * *

**Coming next time: the winners of the fake Shepard porn contest. (Among other things)**


	31. WTT: Anxiety

"Goddess yes, Sam!"

With a final thrust deep inside her partner, Samantha senses the asari tumble into climax, and it's the satisfaction of experiencing her pleasure as much as the physical sensations she's feeling that causes the former Alliance Specialist to follow, her previous anxiety forgotten as ecstasy washes over her.

Minutes later, she's flopped out exhausted on the bed, with the strap-on harness lying discarded on the floor and her lover curled up next to her under some very expensive silk sheets.

"So, Sam," the teal-skinned asari begins, "When we were joined, at the beginning, I couldn't help but notice you were feeling a little tension."

Caressing her partner's back affectionately, Sam reflects on the occasional downsides of sleeping with someone who can see her thoughts. Denial isn't going to work here. "Yeah, I guess I am. Or at least I was until you helped me, uh, work it out of my system."

"Glad to help." The asari traces a finger over Samantha's dark brown nipple, causing her to gasp slightly. "Still, I am a bit curious."

"I guess, um, it's about Shepard coming here," she confesses.

"Why?" When they first met four years ago at a trade show, Nelia had been impressed that she knew the legendary commander, and Sam gets the impression she's excited for the chance to meet her. "I thought you two were friends."

"We are. But…" She lowers her head to kiss the asari's crest. "You know how I can be kind of competitive?"

Nelia laughs. Sam loves her laugh. It's high, and playful, and carefree. Nobody was untouched by the war, but Nelia avoided the worst of it and Sam's glad that her spirit survived intact. "Now why would I think that? Because you sulk if I ever beat you at Spires of Thessia? Or because you sometimes put off melding so you can make me come more times then you do?"

"Hey, you don't seem to mind that second thing," she protests.

"Can't say that I do. I only thought I'd point it out. Go on with the problem."

"Well, it's just that she's Commander Bloody Shepard. The Hero of the Citadel. How was I supposed to compare with that? I mean, I did beat her at chess the once, but that doesn't exactly count, because she doesn't even really play chess, and…"

There's an affectionate kiss to her collarbone. "You're rambling honey."

"Sorry about that. What I'm trying to say is that she saved the galaxy about three times, and cured the genophage, and killed a proto-Reaper with a hand gun, and did a whole bunch of other stuff like that while I stood on the bridge and decoded comm signals. I know they were important comm signals, but it's still not exactly the same thing. Shepard was always good to me when I was on the _Normandy_, and now that she's coming here I want her be impressed with what I've done since I left the Alliance."

Nelia listens patiently before she deftly punctures her incomplete explanation. "That, and you had a crush on her."

Samantha can feel the blood rushing to her face. "No I didn't. Well, maybe I did, but it was just a little one, and I knew she was taken, so I never told her, and…"

"Hey, don't worry about it, silly." The asari sits up and kisses her on the nose. "It's Commander Shepard. Who among us hasn't had a crush on her at some point? I mean, sometimes it seems like about half the movies being downloaded off the extranet on Illium are copies of 'Shepard: Deep in Azure,' and 'Shepard's Command.'"

"Um, yeah, 'Shepard's Command.'" Nelia's comment only deepens the blush in Sam's cheeks. The threesome in that film between the commander, Ashley, and herself in the starboard observation longue of the _Normandy_ was distressingly close to a particularly vivid fantasy she once had and she's embarrassed to admit that she's watched it more than once.

"You know you're adorable when you're uncomfortable. Hey, I've seen it too."

Sam traces her fingers lovingly over one of the white markings on Nelia's cheek. "Thanks, sweetie. You always know how to make me feel better."

"Besides, what do you have to be worried about? In the last four years, you have," she kisses Sam on the lips, "Helped found a extranet company that brings in ten million credits a year." Nelia slides down, running her tongue along the brown skin of Sam's neck. "You own a penthouse with a gorgeous view of down-town Nos Astra. And," she adds, kissing her collarbone, "You convinced your intelligent, fun, and may I say, highly desirable business partner to marry you."

Samantha's still not sure that's going to be enough to impress someone who saved the galaxy three times, but as Nelia's tongue continues to make it's way down her stomach, she decides that when looked at in the right light, it is pretty good.

* * *

Leaving her armory, Shepard checks over her gear one final time. It's fortunate that, as Tela Vasir once told her, Ilium is like Omega with nicer shoes. You can bring pretty much anything there if you're careful about how you use it, and she's packing quite an arsenal: armor, the Paladin, biotic grenades, plenty of warp ammunition, and last but not least, her beloved Indra. "The best present you ever gave me," she tells Liara with a smile.

Looking at her wife standing in the doorway of the room holding their daughter, Ashara corrects herself. "At least, the best present money can buy. You," she adds, bending down to address Moira, "Are the best gift I could ever have asked for." The baby reaches out her tiny hand to tug on an armored finger and Ashara grins at her before standing up to plant a long, sweet kiss on Liara. "Along with your love and support."

"Well, love," her bondmate replies when their lips at last move apart, "I hope that that gun helps keep you safe one more time. I only wish that I could go with you to Illium."

Shepard wants Liara to be by her side too, but neither of them is comfortable with the thought of leaving their daughter without either of her parents. "Moira needs you here."

"I know that she does and that you'll have Javik and Elphi with you. It still doesn't mean that I like the thought of you walking into danger without me." There's a knot in Ashara's stomach when she hears those words along with the uncertainty behind them. This is everything they've been trying to avoid; leaving Liara to worry whether she'll ever see Shepard again.

"I'm sorry." She wraps her wife and daughter up in her arms. "But I have to do this or they'll probably keep coming after us."

"I realize that. But we still don't know everything that's going on. It could be a trap."

"I'll be careful. And speaking of traps, I'm having Cellia and some of the advanced students supplement security here."

"Ashara, I can look after myself and we have excellent defenses already." She's right and given how long it took Shepard to fully appreciate the first point, she hates to argue about it. This time though, she has to insist.

"Of course you can and we do, but like you said, we don't know what's going on. If this is some kind of a diversion, if somebody attacks here while I'm away…. I can't lose you two. I just can't."

The concern evident in her voice causes Liara to concede. "Very well. I do not want you to worry about us more than necessary either."

Her daughter gurgles happily and Shepard smiles down at her. "I'd never let anyone hurt you, Moira." She turns to Liara. "And I can take care of myself too."

Her bondmate smiles back and gives her a tender kiss goodbye, but as Ashara walks down to her car, she finds it hard to shake an unusual sense of disquiet. All throughout her time as a Specter, she hadn't been afraid of dying. She had never wanted to lose her life, but it wasn't something that was high on her list of fears either. Letting down the galaxy, something terrible happening to her friends, the safety and happiness of the asari she loved, those were the things that had kept her up at night. Now, though, with a wife, a home, and a daughter who needs her father, it's hard not to think differently. She owes it to them to come back alive.

* * *

**I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the fake porn name challenge. Planetar contributed Shepard: Deep in Azure and scorpio-666 had Commanding Shepard, which I flipped to Shepard's Command. That Sam scene was something I had planned for a while and I wanted good titles to make it more amusing. ****Also, having just passed 100 reviews, I want to say how much I appreciate everyone who's left feedback, especially sherryE, bluemarlin, and AmityN7 who have been especially tireless in that cause.**


	32. WTT: Ambush

The trip to Illium had at least had plenty of conversation to take Ashara's mind off the danger they were heading into. Though she'd once been a librarian, Elphi had taken to studying war with an impressive zeal and she'd spent most of the flight from Thessia using the opportunity to pepper Javik with questions. The waging of combat in his cycle was a topic there were few other good sources on and her enthusiasm appears to be inexhaustible. It reminds Ashara of Liara's interest when they first unearthed the prothean, but focusing on a single topic. Remembering the friction between her bondmate and Javik back then, Ashara is glad that he's mellowed in the intervening years. Besides, he seems to relish talking about war more than the myriad of historical subjects Liara used to bring up.

"So, did the Protheans have thermal clip technology and discard it in favor of the self-recharging design of your rifle? Because we used to use something similar, but abandoned it shortly before the Reaper invasion because of the overheating issues."

Shepard chuckles and turns to address the two passengers in the back seat of the sky car. "Happened pretty abruptly too. I woke up after a couple of years, and found out they changed all the weapons on me."

Elphi laughs as well, and Shepard puts her eyes back on the path in front of them. It's hardly picturesque. Illium defended itself pretty well against the Reapers, but it still took its fair share of damage, much of it from orbital bombardment. The part of the city linking their spaceport with Samantha's apartment in downtown Nos Astra is made up in stretches of ruins awaiting rebuilding, a grim reminder of the lingering effects of the war.

Behind her, Javik ignores the joking and replies, "There were a number of different power sources that we considered for our weapons. However, it was decided that…"

As the prothean continues with his explanation, Ashara catches a glimpse of metal floating up from the ground into their flight path. She pulls hard on the steering wheel, and though it's too late to not trigger the proximity mine, her frantic swerve manages to avoid hitting it head on.

The electro-magnetic pulse envelops them, shorting out the thrusters and sending the car diving towards the broken terrain below them. She's lost the ability to keep the vehicle aloft, but she retains just enough control over the steering to mitigate the crash, and the car skids along a strip of relatively undamaged street, bouncing sharply several times along the ground before coming to a stop against the wreckage of a taxi cab.

She shakes her head, trying to regain her bearings. There's a cut on the left side of her head and she's a bit shaken up, but she'll be all right. She extracts herself from her seat, and looking behind her, she can see that her passengers are relatively unharmed as well, though there is a bit of a nasty bump springing up on Elphi's head.

"I'm okay, Shepard," the asari assures her as they all get out of the wrecked car, "Just bounced around."

"Indeed, commander," Javik agrees. "Your turian friend once tried to warn me about your driving, but I was not certain until now that he was not merely attempting humor."

A growl escapes her lips. She'll never live those damn tank stories down, especially not if Garrus keeps spreading them. "It was a mine, okay, not my fault. Stay alert." She dons her helmet. "I'm guessing this isn't…"

Before she can finish her sentence, Elphi yells, "Sniper," and dives to the ground, a powerful rifle shot exploding just behind where she was standing. Shepard looks upward, but even as she locates the source of attack, her concerns multiply. From out of the fractured shells of buildings and behind the burned out cars emerge more attackers, perhaps ten in total, most of them humans, accompanied by a couple of asari and a batarian. Unlike the previous assassins, they appear well armed, and some of them have combat armor in addition. Not all of them are on top of Ashara yet, the crash site being a distance from where they were waiting, but Shepard's team is still definitely outnumbered, a situation the ex-Specter is fortunately accustomed to.

As they advance towards her position, a tall brutish woman with a shock of dark hair near the back of the crowd calls out, "Kill the others, but take the arch-criminal alive. She must stand trial for her sins."

Not goddamn likely Shepard think as she climbs over the ruined rental car, trying to obtain cover. She moves nimbly enough to avoid the batarian's submission net, the electrical web discharging it's energy harmlessly into the wreck, but she's not clear of the line of fire yet. There's a hard impact hard against her barriers, and she swivels to see a human with broken teeth and a nasty scar down the middle of his face about fifteen feet away leveling his shotgun for a second shot. Before he can, though, she catches him in the face with a blast of biotic energy. He staggers backward, the arms holding his gun going slack. She puts two rounds from the Paladin in his chest, the warp ammunition bullets penetrating his armor cleanly, and he drops to the ground dead.

Meanwhile, she can see Elphi under pressure from two of the attackers. Her former student nails the human with a reave, and he twitches as the energy saps away his life force. The asari though, has biotics of her own, and she strikes Elphi squarely in the chest with a shockwave, disrupting her defenses and throwing the ex-librarian off of her feet. The asari levels a submachine gun, but Ashara is faster. A shot from her pistol pierces the barriers of the light blue skinned woman and catches her attention. Shepard follows up by launching a singularity, leaving both of the assailants floating helplessly in the air, but as she moves back behind cover, a second, much harder impact shatters her own barrier. She looks down to find a dent in her shoulder guard from a sniper shot. At least most of the damage was absorbed by the shield and the armor; the hit will just leave a bruise, but somebody needs to deal with that problem sooner rather than later.

On her right, Javik has just finished crushing the batarian against the ground with his biotics, and Shepard yells, "Get the damn sniper!", as she kneels to let her barrier regenerate. Javik raises his particle rifle, and the beam of green energy bores straight through the wall of the building her attacker is sheltering in. She can hear a faint scream coming from the sniper's nest, but the other asari takes advantage of Javik's distraction to slam a biotic blast against the prothean's defenses. Javik falls to his knees, and the asari tries to lock onto him with her assault rifle. Ashara nails her with a kill shot first, a single well-aimed bullet penetrating her barriers and leaving her head a bloody mess.

Meanwhile, Elphi's staggered back to her feet and even as Shepard's singularity fades, she takes out it's two victims with blasts from her Disciple. That leaves only the second wave, a group of three more humans advancing from straight ahead along with two more of them coming in from the left. Shepard gestures to her squad-mates to take care of the smaller group, while she hurls a cluster grenade into the midst of the larger one.

One of the three, a shorter man with an old Cerberus Harrier, is caught in the blast radius, and the other two dive for the minimal cover supplied by the ditch they'd just climbed out of. Holstering her pistol, Shepard switches to the Indra. Getting a clear view of the survivors through her scope, she sprays down the area with a lethal barrage of fire. One of the two she catches in the throat, while the other, the woman who first called for their heads, gets off with only the loss of an arm, it's shredded remains hanging loose from her side.

On the left, Elphi has reaved down one of the two in her target group, and Javik's rifle dealt with the other, leaving only the wounded woman in the ditch. "Surrender," Shepard calls out as she reloads. "I know you must have been told that I'm the enemy, but it's all lies. The Reapers weren't going to elevate anyone. They were only going to kill all of us."

Her words have no effect. Just like last time, the final opponent hurls herself futilely forward, her eyes blank, her good hand firing her submachine gun at the group before Javik catches her with his particle rifle, disintegrating her body in a stream of light.

With all of their enemies dead, Shepard turns her attention to her team. "Everyone okay?"

Elphi rubs her chest, her breathing slightly strained. "That shockwave might've cracked a couple of ribs, but it's nothing some medi-gel won't stabilize." She activates her dispenser, and Javik nods that he's in good health as well, his only visible injury a bruise on the side of his head from the biotic attack.

Ashara stows her weapons and as the adrenaline of battle ebbs, she starts considering the broader situation. Unlike the attempt on Thessia, this time was for real. If she hadn't noticed the mine quickly enough and they'd crashed down hard, the subsequent fight might have been a lot uglier. In spite of that though, she's calm. The first attack, feeble as it was, left her shaken. She'd started questioning how easy it was for her to kill again, been filled with fear for Liara and Moira… It had been an off-putting break from the life she'd started to become accustomed to. This time, though, the fighting was simpler. Liara told her that the ability to do this was probably always going to be in her, and Ashara can see now that she was right. She can feel the old Specter in her coming back to the surface.

It's a good thing too. Not only were the these attackers serious, they were waiting for her. Precious few people knew not only that she was coming to Illium but when and by what route. The implications of that are troubling and she needs to get in touch with Liara as soon as possible. Ferreting out the solution to this mystery is definitely more her wife's area of expertise.


	33. WTT: Investigation

Samantha can keep cool in a crisis. It surprised her when she learned it, but in a real emergency, she can make herself focus and do what she has to. When she's just nervous though, she paces and right now she's wearing a hole in her carpet. Shepard coming would be enough to make her anxious, but Javik has her positively on edge. The prothean always looked at her like she was some species of particularly insignificant insect and the prospect of seeing him again has her stomach in knots. And now, just to top it off, Shepard's late.

She's just activating her omni-tool to call her ex-commander when she hears the knock on her door. She opens it hurriedly, and when she does, she's shocked by what greets her: Shepard, along with Javik and a slim asari who's name she was told is Elphi, all three of them covered in dirt and a non-trivial amount of gore.

"Bloody hell! Are you all right, Shepard?"

"I'm fine." The former Specter's voice is level, but there's a steel in it that Samantha hasn't heard since the end of the war. "We got hit on the way from the spaceport."

"By who?"

"The same people that tried to kill me before. That Reaper cult."

Nelia steps into the room. "Hello, Commander Shepard, it's an honor to… Oh, oh my." As surprised as Samantha is to see her former boss like this, for her its hardly the first time. Her wife doesn't have that experience.

Shepard smiles. Sam is always amazed how calm the Specter can be only minutes after fighting for her life. "Hi, Nelia. Sorry to make our entrance like this." She takes off her gloves and extends a hand to the asari who shakes it tentatively. "This is Javik, who I imagine you've heard of, and Elphi, who works with me at the academy. She cracked a couple of ribs in the battle so if you have something to bind them up with, that would be great."

"Um, I think there's some medical tape in the master bathroom over there." Sam had imagined being a lot smoother in this scenario, playing the gracious hostess, but right now, she's just trying to not make a fool of herself. Somehow, she should have suspected this might happen. Some people just have more interesting lives than others.

Javik offers to assist Elphi and the two of them head off, leaving Sam and her wife with Shepard.

"Listen, I'm sorry to be abrupt, but I need you to get me a line back to Thessia right away. Are your comms well secured?"

"Yeah," Sam assures her. "We run an communications firm, so we have pretty good encryption."

"Glad to hear it. Give me a few minutes to make the call and get cleaned up. We can catch up after that." In spite of the situation, Sam smiles. Only Shepard can mix assassination plots and social interactions quite so calmly.

* * *

It's just after dawn on Thessia when Liara is awakened by her info-drone floating into bedroom. "Doctor T'Soni, you have an incoming call from Shepard."

Concern banishes the fatigue from her mind. Ashara knows what time it is here; if she's calling, it must be serious. "Put it through to my omni-tool, Glyph."

When Ashara's image flickers into existence, Liara's first impulse is alarm; her wife is disheveled and there's dried blood in her hair, but Shepard quickly moves to reassure her. "Don't worry, Liara, I'm okay."

"You look…"

"I know. Sorry I didn't have a chance to get prettied up for you," she laughs, "But it's not serious, and you need to hear about this now. The cult, they were waiting for us on the way from the spaceport. There were about a dozen of them, pretty well-armed too."

"I'm just glad you are all right." And she does sound all right. Much calmer than after the attack on Thessia. "Are Javik and Elphi unharmed as well?"

"Some scrapes and bruises, but they'll be okay."

"I am glad to hear it. Ashara, do you think you three will be enough to handle this? I can call Ashley and get her to bring the _Normandy_ if you need back-up."

"No need. The three of us should be more than sufficient to take care of these idiots. You don't need to do anything."

Her words say that, but her face tells a different story. For an instant, her mouth curls in a slight, skeptical grin, a small expression that only someone who knows her well would recognize. Liara nods, smiling knowingly at her bondmate. "Of course, love. I trust your judgment."

"I love you. Kiss Moira for me and I'll be in touch again soon."

* * *

As the call ends, Liara does her best to keep her expression level, her face trying not to betray any sign of her concern just in case she's being watched. Someone knew where Ashara was going to be and approximately when. Very few people had that information. Only the two of them, Javik, Elphi, Cellia, Sam, and her wife knew they were going to Ilium. Everyone else here on Thessia was only told Shepard was taking a brief leave of absence to deal with a personal matter.

Neither member of the squad makes sense as a traitor. Not only does Shepard trust them, presumably they would have shown their true colors in the attack. The other three are conceivable, albeit unlikely, possibilities but they didn't know which spaceport Shepard's chartered ship was flying into, information the cult would have needed to plan the ambush. That leaves only surveillance. Shepard must have realized that as well, which is why she was being so circumspect on the comm line.

But what kind of surveillance? She doubts anyone could have tapped into her communications. Her equipment was taken from the Shadow Broker's ship and she's upgraded it as needed. That means it's probably something inside the house.

Heading to her office, she double-checks the integrity of the computer system before running a check on the house. Nothing is transmitting in or out right now, which makes sense. Their passive security would probably pick up on such communications. Unless…

She's heard of sophisticated devices designed to only transmit when it detects that a system is going through a processing cycle, which is once every six hours in this case. The window is only a couple of seconds, not enough time to allow anyone to gain access to the premises, but if you already had a device inside, it would be sufficient to send a short burst of data without being noticed. The next window is in just under four hours, which gives her a little time to work.

Using her omni-tool, she directs Glyph to perform a room by room scan of the house and a half an hour later, the drone finds what she's looking for. It's a small recorder/transmitter hidden underneath the case containing Shepard's medals, impressively inconspicuous.

Removing the device, she sics her best cracking program on it and soon enough, she has access to the data inside. Because of it's size, it was limited to audio surveillance of the downstairs, but that would be enough to have ascertained Shepard's itinerary.

The internal clock shows that it's been active since about a day after the murder. Who was in the house at the time? Javik, which is ridiculous, or… of course. Detective Belaya. She saw herself out, which would have given her the opportunity to plant the bug.

And then it all falls into place. A police detective could have supplied information on her wife's movements to the shooters. The assassination attempt that made no sense wasn't just a ploy to get Shepard to Illium, it was also a way to get Belaya inside the house. But why? What's her connection to this cult? Liara will have to move quickly if she wants to find out; in a little over three hours, Belaya will know her little toy has been found.

* * *

The luxuriousness of this entire apartment is off-putting, everything too soft, too comfortable for Javik's taste. Turning over a small crystal sculpture in his long fingers, he tilts his head towards Elphi, the woman resting her freshly-bandaged ribs on the bed outside of the bathroom. "I have a question, asari."

She chuckles, wincing slightly as her injured chest expands against the wrappings. "Seems fair. I've asked you plenty of them."

"I am told that you used to be a scholar, a keeper of records."

"That's true. The University of Auralia. They had the best biotic gymnastics team on Thessia. Go Spearbirds!"

He ignores this display of school spirit. "And now you are a soldier?"

"I am. And a pretty decent one, I'd like to think." Her light purple face wears an expression he has come to recognize as sarcastic. "You know, for a librarian."

"I did not intend to impugn your abilities. Your performance in the battle was adequate."

"Well, thanks."

"My question is how did you do it? How did you become a different person than the one you had spent your entire life preparing to be?"

Her usually cheerful demeanor fades and she looked up at the ceiling, as if intently studying some puzzle inscribed there. "I had no choice. When the Reapers first hit the college, I was scarred out of my mind, hoping someone would save me. A Justicar maybe… I used to read _Justicar Heroes_ all the time when I was a girl."

"Then, around the time I found the mauled corpse of my supervisor, I realized no one was coming and everyone else was just as scarred as me. I didn't have much in the way of combat training but I'm a pretty strong biotic and, I don't know, I guess I had good instincts for fighting. Everything else just kind of happened naturally after that."

Javik nods. "I do not have to change. I could remain a soldier. But the enemy I was born to fight has been destroyed and I do not find anything to replace it with. I know that I should find something else to do, some new purpose for my life, but I look at this place, at these things," he gestures in the direction of the many material goods filling the bedroom, "And they seem empty. I do not know how to relate in a world where such things are so important."

There's unexpected warmth in Elphi's bright blue eyes. "I don't know. As a librarian, I thought I could look up all the answers, but maybe, life is a little like war. Sometimes you just have to jump in even with lousy intel."


	34. WTT: One Arrest

Sitting down on her bed in the captain's cabin, Ashley groans wearily. As her sore fingers unlace her boots and pull them off of her aching feet, the Specter reflects that it wasn't until she took command of the _Normandy_ that she really appreciated just how hard Shepard's job had been. Brutal though the missions Ashley had gone on with her were, she got respites, times when Shepard would select someone else to accompany her.

Now, she's the one deciding who gets the breaks, not the one taking them. The responsibility for deciding strategy, the lack of decent rest, the paperwork waiting for you when you get back… it's a heavy enough burden, and all she's been doing is wiping out the batarian pirates in this sector. She'd always been impressed that Shepard survived the Reaper war, but lately it seems like nothing short of superhuman.

It's out of respect for that prowess that when the bridge informs Ashley she has a call from Shepard's house on Thessia, she manages to drag herself down to the comm room with a minimum of grumbling. If Shepard could deal with the Council after fighting Geth Primes and Reapers Brutes all day, surely she can talk to her old friend after a few pirates.

The image that shimmers into existence however is not of the former Specter, but rather her wife and the business-like expression on the asari's face gives Ashley pause. She'd offered her help shortly after the attack on Thessia, but Shepard told her that she could take of the problem herself. Now, though, things may have changed.

"Ashley. I am sorry I do not have time for pleasantries, but this matter is somewhat urgent."

"Of course, Liara. What can I do you for you?"

"I need you to issue a Specter-authority arrest warrant for Detective Belaya of the Kosia Criminal Investigative Department on Thessia."

She cracks a tired smile. "Anything for you two, but just for the sake of form, why?"

"For now, the charge is planting an illegal surveillance device in our house, but I suspect that she was involved with the attack on Shepard."

"Sure. Let me get the paperwork together."

"I have already prepared it; even though she is no longer a Specter, Shepard still has the forms. They simply require your electronic signature."

Ashley transmits the code. "Here it is. Do you need anything else?"

"My thanks. I hope we will not, but I do not know. The extent of this conspiracy remains unclear and Shepard and I may yet need to take you up on your offer."

"Whatever you need." As the asari signs off, Ashley finds herself a bit conflicted. As much as she hopes this turns out to be nothing, it's hard not to be enthused about the prospect of fighting alongside Shepard one more time.

* * *

Getting off of the line, Liara calls Cellia into the house. The dark-blue asari has been leading the security detail at the estate, but now Liara has another, more sensitive duty in mind for her.

"Liara, what can I do for you?" When she was first assigned to the house by Shepard, Cellia had called her "Doctor T'Soni," but Liara had insisted on the less formal designation. A friend of Shepard's is a friend of hers, and it seems particularly appropriate given what she has in mind.

"Cellia, something urgent has come up. I know it's not entirely in your job description, but I was hoping that you would babysit Moira for a few hours."

She nods. "I'd be glad to." She's not as emotive as Shepard's other protégée at the academy, Elphi, but Liara can tell Cellia appreciates the trust being placed in her.

"Thank you. She is asleep now and there is a bottle in the refrigerator in the event she wakes up. I know that you have your own daughter, so I trust this is not too unfamiliar."

"Nah. Oria is a little past the bottle stage," she answers cheerfully, "But I think I remember the basics."

"Thank you. I will also need to bring a couple of the guards with me just in case."

"Not a problem. We're all here for you and Shepard, Liara. Where are you going?"

"On the offensive."

* * *

Liara usually doesn't drive like Shepard at the controls of a Mako, but this time, she's making an exception. If she doesn't get to the station quickly, the device will miss it's next upload and Detective Belaya will know that it's been discovered. She might go to ground then, and that would significantly complicate the investigation.

Pulling into the parking lot, Liara bolts out of the car, leaving the two asari soldiers scrambling after her. She brought them along because while she's confidant she can handle one crooked detective, Belaya might have accomplices. Bursting through the door, she's met by a distracted-looking asari who Liara is fairly certain is playing some sort of game on her work terminal.

Liara may not be quite as famous as Shepard, but her appearance still suffices to snap the secretary to attention. "Doctor T'Soni, I… What can I do for you?"

"I need to see Detective Belaya. She has been handling the shooting case involving my bondmate."

"Of course. I'll call her out to the front desk."

Liara stops her before she can get on the intercom. The less warning her target has, the better. "There is no need. Just direct me to her."

Striding through the police station, Liara ignores the commotion created by her arrival, her eyes locked on her quarry. The detective is standing next to two of her fellow investigators on the far side of the room, and when she sees Liara, she looks over at her, surprise evident on her thin purple face.

"Detective. I have new information concerning Shepard's case. May we speak privately?"

"Certainly, Doctor." The detective's mood feels wary as she leads Liara into an interrogation room and away from the crowd outside.

"How appropriate," she thinks to herself. The two soldiers wait outside. Liara worked this out with them on the way to the station. Their instructions are to make sure she and Belaya are not disturbed unless absolutely necessary and to use the Specter warrant to make sure of that.

The room is bare save for a white metal table, and a pair of chairs that don't look like they were designed to be particularly comfortable, but neither of the two asari sits down.

"So, you said you had new information. What is it?"

Liara reaches into her pocket, her hand closing around the small, metal listening device she found earlier. "This."

She tosses the bug to Belaya and as the detective instinctively raises her hands to catch it, Liara takes advantage of the distraction to draw her pistol. "Perhaps," Liara says, her voice icy, "You would care to explain why you planted that device in my house."

The detective freezes, evidently searching for some denial, but Liara preempts her. "Do not bother. I have already cracked the encryption and have a warrant for your arrest. What I want are you reasons and your associates."

Rather than provide the answers she seeks, the detective reaches down, her hand going to her the pistol holstered at her waist. Liara fires, but needing her target alive, she aims at Belaya's shoulder. The biotic round shatters the detective's hastily erected barrier, but though she jerks at the impact, she still draws the gun. Liara raises her own barriers, but Belaya has a different target in mind. Her eyes blank, the purple-skinned asari aims the gun towards her own head, but before she can pull the trigger, Liara reacts, trapping her target in a stasis field.

Liara pries the pistol out of the frozen grip of her target as outside, she can hear the squad room erupt in chaos at the sound of the gunshot. Moving quickly, she repositions the detective's inert hands behind her back, securing her with her own binders, before opening the door to the interrogation room.

Her guards are only barely holding back a screaming tide of outraged police officers. Both have their weapons drawn, and one of them is brandishing the data pad containing the arrest warrant. In that moment, Liara wishes that she had Ashara' command voice; her bondmate could always make herself heard over the din of battle, something the generally soft-spoken asari isn't nearly as good at. Still, her reappearance does seem to get some attention and after several attempts at calling for order, she manages to get a few words understood.

"I am here on Specter business. I have an arrest warrant for that detective on the accusation of criminal espionage issued under the authority of Ashley Williams. When I informed Belaya of this, she drew her gun and attempted to take her own life. I have restrained her."

An older asari with light blue skin whose uniform indicates she's in charge steps to the front of the crowd. "Doctor, I'm Captain Ranie. Allow me to see this warrant."

Liara nods and the asari is handed the data pad which she examines while glancing inside the interrogation room. Belaya is starting to come out of the stasis field, and she immediately begins to strain frantically against the binders.

"The documents seem to be in order," the supervisor acknowledges before turning to her handcuffed subordinate. "Is this true, detective? Why did you do this?" There's no acknowledgement though, the prisoner continuing to strain against her bonds, her eyes still vacant. "What's wrong with her?"

"I am not certain," Liara replies. "She…" Before the information broker can continue, there's a dribble of blood from the detective's mouth and she doubles over in front of the captain.

"Shit," one of the other detectives cries out, "She's trying to swallow her tongue!"

Grasping Belaya's jaws with a biotic field, Liara forces the prisoner's mouth open, preventing her from severing the entire muscle. Belaya writhes desperately, trying with all her might to get free but Liara is too strong, her powers preventing her from closing her mouth.

Medi-gel is applied to the wound and the captain calls for a sedative. A minute and more tranquilizers than Liara would have thought necessary for someone that size later, Belaya is rendered unconscious and Liara turns back to Ranie. "As I was just explaining, I'm not certain why her reaction was so extreme, but it seems prudent to take the detective to the nearest secure psychiatric facility to investigate further."

"And run some tests," Liara adds silently as the slumbering form of Belaya is being carried out of the station. There's something suspiciously familiar about the trance that the detective went into before she tried to kill herself, and if Liara's right, Ashley's help may not be all that they need to deal with this problem.


	35. WTT: Making Connections

"So," Samantha informs Shepard, "I've got the search program up and running. Hopefully, if there was any recent comm traffic within the parameters I've specified, I'll be able to trace the calls back to their source."

Nelia seems a bit concerned with this plan. "Is that, um, entirely legal?

There's a mischievous gleam in the former specialist's brown eyes. "I might be skirting the edge of various computer trespass laws. But if the people who run the Nos Astra communications hub didn't want me tapping into their data streams, they should have secured them better." She pauses. "Which is what I'll tell the police when I'm arrested."

"Don't worry about it," Shepard laughs. "I'm pretty sure I've got enough pull to keep you out of prison."

"I'm glad to hear that." Nelia gives Sam a quick kiss on the cheek. "She's way too cute to go to jail."

Samantha blushes. "Well, in any case, it may be a little while before I have anything for you."

"Let me get us some sandwiches while we're waiting," Nelia offers. "Biotic use and all that."

"Thanks." The teal asari heads off to the kitchen and Shepard turns to Samantha. "I like her. You two seem well matched."

"Yeah. She's pretty great." A goofy smile spreads across Sam's face and Shepard wonders if she looks like that when she talks about Liara. Probably, but that's okay. If her love for her wife makes her look a little silly sometimes, well, she's confidant her reputation for toughness can survive it.

"How'd you meet her?"

"At a trade show. After I left the Alliance, I was at working for this communications company, Stellar Integration. It was okay I guess, but after the _Normandy_, it was kinda boring. That's what I thought I wanted, but too much of a good thing and all that. Anyway, they sent me to the show and Nelia was working at one of the booths, demoing comm relays. I started yammering on about technical specifications, and we ended up at a bar afterwards talking shop. Both of us thought we were smarter then our bosses, and so, about six drinks later, we decided to prove it by founding our own company. She manages the business side of things, and I do the tech. We started dating about a year later and got married a year and a half after that."

"I'm really glad things have worked out so well for you." After the troubles that some of her crew have had since the war, it warms Ashara's heart to see Sam's happiness.

"And how about you? I mean, aside from all of this."

"Aside from this, I'm good. Liara and I are very happy, and Moira's great. A lot of work, but completely worth it." She can feel that smile coming on. "As for work, it's satisfying. I still do some diplomacy, but mostly it's the academy. Keeps me in practice and I like teaching the students there."

"Well, if anyone deserves it, it's you after everything you went through."

Ashara sighs. "We all went through it."

"Not like you, Commander. Really, you made the rest of us feel a little inadequate."

Shepard never knows quite what to say when people tell her things like that. Intellectually, she understands the role she played in beating the Reapers, but so many others contributed so much. "You did fine, Sam."

Just then, three things interrupt their conversation: Nelia returns with the food, Sam's terminal starts beeping that it's found something, and Shepard hears what, if she didn't know better, she could swear is the sound of Javik laughing.

* * *

"What a dump." Looking down the street at the address that Sam had traced several calls from the vicinity of the attack to, Elphi seems unimpressed. Not that Ashara can blame her. The nondescript pre-fab building on the outskirts of Nos Astra looks like it should be housing file clerks, not an evil cult.

Shepard chuckles. "I imagine that if you're worshipping the machines that destroyed half the galaxy, you'd rather keep a low profile."

They, on the other hand, are taking the direct approach. None of them is an expert at stealth, and Javik is too distinctive to be mistaken for anyone else, so ground assault it is. Well, Shepard can always hope they'll surrender peacefully. From time to time over the years she'd wondered why more didn't. Reaper thralls or Geth were one thing, but the number of mercs and criminals who decided they should get into a shoot-out with a Specter was remarkable.

Nor do the cultists prove any smarter. She and her team are still thirty feet from the entrance of the building when two of the windows on the second floor open and assault rifles protrude out from them. Shepard reacts quickly, tossing a warp through one of the windows, causing the unseen shooter to stagger backwards. Their gun disappears from view, but the other one opens fire, raining rounds down into the street. Elphi raised a biotic dome, shielding the group, while Javik's particle rifle answers, the glimmering beam boring through the wall and putting a stop to the gunfire.

Shepard gestures to her squad, and together they dash in the direction of the door. A biotic blast from Shepard throws it open and two shots from her pistol catch the turian receptionist in the chest when she draws a submachine gun on them.

The rest of the battle is unremarkable. The lobby makes a solid enough defensive position and the rest of the resident cultists make the unwise decision to try and extirpate them from it, a solid wall of biotics and gunfire making short work of them as they funnel themselves through the stairwells. The only real trouble comes from a well-trained human who manages to roll into the room under Javik's fire and deliver a solid blow to the prothean's midsection with the butt of his rifle. Still, it's only briefly a problem, Ashara picking him off from across the room with her Indra, and before long, victory is theirs.

* * *

An hour later, the Illium police are crawling all over the building, Shepard's status as a former Specter as well as her reputation ensuring they accept the team's explanation of what happened and allow them to stay on site for the investigation. The upper levels are fairly boring, serving to protect the building's cover as home to a low-end accounting firm, but the basement tells a different story. Piles of military-grade weapons and a simple metal alter flanked by stylized images of Reapers descending from the sky reveal the true purpose for which it was used.

"I still don't get it." Elphi shakes her head, looking at the painted Reapers with blazing coronas of light surrounding them. "What in Athame's name could these idiots have been thinking? These things killed so many people. To see them as gods…"

"I don't know." Ashara's spent a lot of time trying to figure this out herself, ever since she heard about the cult. "Maybe it's how some people try to cope with what happened, with everything that they went through. To believe that there was some higher purpose might be easier." The Reapers certainly thought there was a purpose to what they did, but their convictions had led to horror, just like this cult's delusions.

"Well, that may be the case," the former librarian shrugs, "But they didn't seem to want to stick around to answer our questions."

"Indeed. In my cycle, we accepted death in battle willingly, but these fanatics appeared eager to die."

Just then, an officious-looking asari in uniform comes down the stairs to join them. "Commander, do you have a moment?" Shepard just nods in the affirmative. She's largely given up on getting most people to stop referring to her by her old rank. "So, we've been trying to identify the dead upstairs. Any IDs they had were fake, but biometrics have given us some hits. Most of them were the sorts you would expect: drifters and criminals, but three of the humans stood out. They all belonged to an ExoGeni survey team that disappeared on an expedition to a world called Ondren a few years ago. Everyone the mission was listed as presumed dead and yet here they are."

ExoGeni. That was who the kidnappers that attacked Kasumi claimed to be working for. The pieces still don't entirely fit, but her suspicious about a bigger puzzle seem to be confirmed. In any event, she has her next destination. First, though, she should see what her wife has discovered; though she's done it plenty of times before, flying off to an unexplored world without any idea of what you'll find there is seldom the optimal strategy.


End file.
